Aoun welcomes French-Italian initiative on post-UNIFIL arrangement
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the announcement made by French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni regarding efforts to form an international coalition on a post-UNIFIL mechanism in southern Lebanon.
He described the initiative as a sincere expression of international commitment to supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability, and a recognition of the role played by the Lebanese Armed Forces in maintaining security and extending state authority across all Lebanese territory, particularly in the southern border areas.
President Aoun also expressed appreciation for the joint French and Italian emphasis on the need to avoid any dangerous security vacuum after UNIFIL’s mandate, noting that this aligns with Lebanon’s consistent position that the Lebanese Army is the sole guarantee of security in the south and the protection of national sovereignty.
He reaffirmed Lebanon’s openness to any international framework that strengthens its armed forces, preserves territorial integrity, and prevents the country from becoming a platform for regional escalation or conflict, stressing continued coordination with international partners in the interest of national stability and regional peace.
