Syriac Catholic Patriarch praises Aoun’s Washington visit
Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Joseph III Younan praised President of the Republic Joseph Aoun’s recent visit to Washington, saying the Lebanese head of state had been the best representative of Lebanon and had demonstrated to the world’s most powerful country that Lebanon deserves to live in dignity.
Speaking after meeting Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, Younan congratulated the president on the outcome of his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and expressed support for his national positions and efforts to strengthen state authority.
The president believes in Lebanon and knows its rights well. He wants it to remain independent, free and fully sovereign over every inch of its territory because this country is a message to the entire region, Younan said.
During the meeting, Aoun briefed the patriarch on his efforts to extend state authority and sovereignty across all Lebanese territory. Younan, in turn, outlined the situation of Syriac Catholics in Lebanon, Iraq and the diaspora.
Aoun later received MP Haidar Nasser, who also welcomed the results of the Washington visit, before meeting a delegation representing the Baalbek-Hermel tribes. The delegation raised development and employment needs in the region, as well as security concerns.
Aoun reaffirmed the state’s commitment to the region, saying the government would continue working to address its development needs and stand by all its citizens.
