Aoun to Barrou: “The Negotiation Initiative Remains Active Despite Ongoing Military Escalation”

President Aoun welcomed Minister Le Drian and his delegation, praising “the distinguished role played by President Macron in assisting Lebanon on various fronts, particularly through continuous communication with both the Lebanese and Syrian sides, as well as with the Israeli side.”

The President reiterated “the necessity of a ceasefire and providing the guarantees needed for its success by the concerned parties, stressing that the negotiation initiative he announced remains active, but the ongoing military escalation hampers its launch. This requires a halt to hostilities to create the appropriate conditions for negotiations, which are currently unavailable due to the widespread fighting, destruction of villages and towns in the south, hundreds of casualties, and over a million displaced persons. Once the ceasefire is in place, the negotiation mechanism can be activated anywhere agreed upon, as the priority is to stop the escalation.”

President Aoun reaffirmed “Lebanon’s desire to maintain international forces in the south to oversee the implementation of any agreement reached, or the presence of European units that have expressed willingness to continue peacekeeping duties in the south, regardless of the legal framework of their presence.”

In another domain, President Aoun confirmed that “the government continues to implement decisions regarding the monopoly of weapons, although military escalation has hindered the full execution of the plan set by the army command. All official facilities, Rafic Hariri International Airport, the Port of Beirut, and border crossings are under the supervision of Lebanese military and security agencies, while the army operates patrols and checkpoints across Lebanese regions to prevent armed displays and detain violators.”

He emphasized that the government is steadfast in its position that decisions regarding war and peace fall exclusively under the state’s authority.

Finally, President Aoun thanked France—its president, government, and people—for “their solidarity with the Lebanese people during these difficult circumstances and for initiating humanitarian assistance to the displaced Lebanese.”