Aoun to the "Strong Republic": The diplomatic track affirms state sovereignty and pulls Lebanon out of the repercussions of war

President Joseph Aoun affirmed, during his meeting with a delegation from the "Strong Republic" bloc headed by Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, that Lebanon is facing a delicate path that requires entrenching the logic of the state and holding fast to sovereignty, stressing that he will not back down from the decision to negotiate that he has taken, despite the difficulty of the phase and the surrounding challenges.

President Aoun said:

"The criticism over direct negotiations with Israel does not deserve a response, because Lebanon has entered into direct negotiations with Israel more than once, beginning in 1949."

"I assure you that I will not retreat from the decision to negotiate that I have taken, while insisting that all my positions include clarifications to the Lebanese people about the importance of the path we are pursuing, and Lebanon’s adherence to its sovereignty in every step we take."

"I made a difficult choice, and the road is not paved, because of the balance of power, Israeli calculations, the Iranian-American situation, and other complications. This choice affirms the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and its right to negotiate for itself by itself, and removes it from the repercussions of the war that was imposed on it."

"Why should the Lebanese people continue to pay the price of wars ignited at the behest of الخارج and for its interests?"

"The framework formula will restore Lebanon’s rights through diplomatic means, if Israel abides by its provisions and its implementation succeeds."

"Today we have an opportunity to achieve the gains we lost through a futile war, especially in light of the current American momentum in paying attention to Lebanon and the United States’ ability to pressure Israel to remove the obstacles it is placing."

"Matters are gradually moving toward resolution, and all the criticism targeting this path stems from a desire to return the Lebanese file to being a card in Iran’s hands."