Under President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, the Lebanese government is actively reasserting state authority by restricting armed groups operating outside the law. Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji demanded an immediate end to ongoing Israeli attacks, a full withdrawal from occupied areas, and the execution of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. He also linked Mediterranean stability directly to maritime security in vital waterways like the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. Consequently, Rajji proposed a comprehensive Arab strategic partnership rooted strictly in sovereign institutions holding sole control over war and peace.
Key points
Lebanon is seeking Gulf assistance while guaranteeing its territory will never again be u…: Lebanon is seeking Gulf assistance while guaranteeing its territory will never again be used to threaten Arab security.
Regional stability requires dismantling the influence of armed proxy groups acting outsid…: Regional stability requires dismantling the influence of armed proxy groups acting outside legitimate governmental authority.
The proposed Arab strategic partnership demands that sovereign states retain the exclusiv…: The proposed Arab strategic partnership demands that sovereign states retain the exclusive power over decisions of war and peace.
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Lebanon's Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji has called for a complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories, an end to ongoing attacks and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, while urging Gulf states to support efforts to restore Lebanon's sovereignty.
Speaking at the 22nd Manama Dialogue, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Rajji said restoring state authority was essential to Lebanon's stability and its relations with Arab countries, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.
He said Lebanon, under President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, had embarked on a path to reassert state control, pointing to government decisions aimed at placing all weapons under state authority and banning Hezbollah's military and security activities.
"Lebanon will no longer allow its territory to be used against the security of its Arab brothers or as a bargaining chip in negotiations conducted beyond its borders," Rajji said during a session on the Eastern Mediterranean.
The minister also reaffirmed Lebanon's solidarity with Bahrain and other Gulf states in "confronting Iranian attacks and those carried out by armed groups linked to…
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