Rajji: Lebanese Decision Is Independent and Needs No One to Make It for Us

Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji posted on "X": "I met in Ottawa with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, in a bilateral meeting followed by an expanded breakfast session. Together we launched the 'Canadian-Lebanese Partnership for Security and Resilience,' a new framework for cooperation in security, stability, humanitarian aid, governance, and development, supporting Lebanon's sovereignty and restricting weapons to state control. We agreed on an annual dialogue at the senior officials level. Minister Anand informed me of Canada's contribution to three projects: advanced training for special operations forces in the Lebanese Army, support for reconciliation and social cohesion, and protection of civilians from unexploded ordnance and support for safe return. We discussed developments in the south, emphasizing the protection of civilians, implementation of the tripartite framework agreement, and a coordinated transition after UNIFIL withdrawal. I confirmed from my side the importance of the Canadian role, and that the Lebanese decision is independent and does not need anyone to make it for us, and I conveyed to the Minister the request for a unified aid program for Lebanon and a statement supporting its sovereignty at the upcoming G7 meeting in Paris."