Aoun: Negotiation Is Safer Than War, and We Have No Other Choice

President Joseph Aoun before a delegation from the Lebanese Private Sector Network:

• Negotiation is safer than war, as we have seen — and continue to see — the calamities of war and its consequences. However, it will not solve the problem in a matter of moments; rather, it is a process that needs time, and we have no other choice.

• Unfortunately, some consider negotiation to be surrender, but it is not. Nor is it a concession; rather, it is a solution to stop wars with the least possible harm.

• We will not retreat from our choice, and all of us in Lebanon, as officials, are doing the impossible. Negotiations may stumble or be delayed in reaching the goal we seek, but they are moving forward. Everything is resolved through negotiation, no matter how long it takes. War will not lead to a result for any of its parties.

• The army has not announced that the southern region has become demilitarized and free of weapons. According to the military concept, however, the army has established operational control over the area.

Clearing the South of weapons requires time, given the geographical nature of this land, rich in mountains and valleys, and the army has carried out its duties in this regard.