Salam: Sustainable Stability Requires Full State Authority
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed that the government has worked to consolidate Lebanon’s position on the regional map, saying it had succeeded in reconnecting the Lebanese economy with its Arab sphere, particularly Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.
Addressing Parliament during a session questioning the government, Salam stressed that sustainable stability cannot be achieved without extending state authority across the entirety of Lebanese territory through its own forces and ensuring that decisions of war and peace remain exclusively in the hands of the state.
I do not pursue negotiations merely for the sake of negotiating, but it is the state’s responsibility to choose the least costly path for the Lebanese people to achieve its objectives, Salam said.
He stressed that negotiations do not in themselves constitute a concession of rights, but rather serve as a means of recovering them through diplomatic channels.
Turning to the framework agreement, Salam said it was understandable for some to disagree with its substance, but expressed surprise at claims that it imposed new commitments on Lebanon.
