Aoun: No one can bear the cost of wars anymore... and Lebanon places a ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal at the core of any negotiating or political track.

President Joseph Aoun told MP Michel Daher and a delegation from the agricultural unions:

The framework Lebanon has set for negotiations consists of an Israeli withdrawal, a ceasefire, the deployment of the army along the border, the return of the displaced, and economic or financial assistance for Lebanon. Anything discussed outside this framework is incorrect.

He added: It is my duty, stemming from my position and responsibility, to do the impossible—and whatever is least costly—to stop the war from reaching Lebanon and its people.

We have experienced wars and seen where they have led Lebanon. Can anyone still bear their cost?

He continued: You are deeply rooted in this land because you understand its value. Preserve this attachment and pass it on to your children, who are the nation’s wealth.

I will continue my efforts with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to open markets to Lebanese production, and to provide facilities for farmers inside Lebanon to enable them to continue under the difficult circumstances the country is going through.