Ortagus Urges Faster Hezbollah Disarmament, Emphasizes Reforms and Negotiations
MTV sources reported that the Lebanese government confirmed to US Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus that the Lebanese Army has started the task of disarming Hezbollah. However, he US response was that the steps seem slow and must be accelerated to extend the state's authority over all its territory.
Ortagus emphasized during her meetings that Lebanon has a golden opportunity due to the international support momentum and the reforms represented by the current faces in power, warning that this opportunity would not last long.
She also detailed the weapons issue in Lebanon and stressed to Lebanese officials that financial and economic reforms must go hand in hand with the disarming of illegal weapons to restore Lebanon’s trust and enable it to secure funds for reconstruction.
Ortagus praised the importance of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, with the Lebanese response being the adoption of the military technical committee, similar to the period of maritime border demarcation, or the shuttle diplomacy as it was under Amos Hochstein’s tenure.
