Raji from the French Senate: The state has regained its decision-making... and there is no place for any force outside legitimacy

Foreign Minister and Emigrants Youssef Raji affirmed, during a conference held at the French Senate titled "In Solidarity with Lebanon: Local Authorities at the Heart of the French-Lebanese Partnership," that Lebanon has entered a new phase marked by the state’s full restoration of its sovereignty and the confinement of security and military decision-making to its legitimate institutions.

In a speech delivered in the presence of Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar, French Senate President Gérard Larcher, and a number of French and Lebanese officials, Raji stressed that the Lebanese government had taken what he described as "historic" decisions, foremost among them ending Hezbollah’s military presence, considering that this decision constituted the turning point that paved the way for launching the "framework agreement."

He explained that this choice was not the result of external pressure or diplomatic settlements, but stemmed from a firm national will to rebuild a state that alone monopolizes the use of legitimate force and exercises its full powers in foreign policy and national security.

Raji affirmed that Lebanon no longer accepts being an arena for settling regional conflicts or a platform serving the interests of others, noting that decisions of war and peace and foreign policy are now made in Beirut and are not subject to any tutelage or external interference.

On relations with France, the Lebanese minister called for developing the bilateral partnership beyond the concept of solidarity toward effective support for a state reclaiming its institutions and role, praising Paris’s continued contribution, particularly through its participation in the UNIFIL forces operating in southern Lebanon.

He also stressed that completing the building of the state requires ending any occupation or foreign military presence on Lebanese territory, affirming that extending the Lebanese army’s authority over all Lebanese territory constitutes a national priority consistent with sovereign decisions and UN Security Council resolutions.

For his part, French Senate President Gérard Larcher described the Lebanese government’s decision to reject the path of war and move to negotiations as a "brave and historic decision," affirming continued French support for Lebanon and its partnership with its legitimate institutions.