President Aoun: Weapons Belong Only to the State
President Joseph Aoun emphasized that Israel's withdrawal from the five hills is necessary to accelerate the completion of the army's deployment along the borders, so that the state alone is responsible for border security.
He said to a delegation from the French Senate: The Lebanese Army is deployed on the northeastern borders, fully performing its duties, including combating terrorism, preventing smuggling operations, and maintaining internal security, pointing out that the decision to restrict weapons to the Lebanese state has been made, and returning to the language of war is not allowed.
He added: We have begun implementing the necessary reforms, and they will be completed as they are a Lebanese need before being an external demand, noting that focusing on fighting corruption is an essential part of the reforms, aimed at serving the citizens and strengthening public order.
Aoun announced that joint Lebanese-Syrian committees will be formed to address pending issues, including the demarcation of land and maritime borders, and the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon due to economic reasons.
He confirmed that municipal elections will be held on time, and the state's role is to ensure the electoral process both security-wise and administratively, while the choice of who represents the people in municipal and elective councils remains with the Lebanese, adding: What we seek in everything we do is to build the state and restore confidence in it, both domestically and abroad.
