Aoun: Lebanon ready for negotiations but mutual will needed
President Joseph Aoun on Friday called on the international community, the EU and the U.S. to press Israel to abide by last year’s ceasefire agreement and enable the Lebanese Army to deploy up the southern international border and continue implementing the plans devised for extending Lebanon’s sovereignty across its territory.
Aoun voiced his remarks in a meeting in Baabda with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.
“We are not advocates of war, because we have tried it and drew lessons from it. That’s why we want to restore stability to Lebanon starting by its south,” Aoun added, noting that “the negotiation choice is for recovering our occupied land, returning the captives and achieving full withdrawal from the hills.”
Aoun, however, lamented that Israel “has only met this choice with further attacks on Lebanon, in the South and the Bekaa, and with raising up the level of escalation.”
“Israel’s snubbing of the continuous calls for halting its attacks confirms that Israel’s hostile decision is still its first choice, which puts a responsibility on the shoulders of the international community to support Lebanon’s stance that calls for achieving security and stability,” the president added.
Stressing that “the Lebanese Army is full performing its duty in the South Litani area, in addition to its many missions across the country,” Aoun said Lebanon welcomes “any support for the army in order to provide it with the necessary assets to fully perform its role in preserving sovereignty and the country’s safety.”
He added: “The army is the only guarantee for protecting Lebanon and defending its sovereignty and there can be no sustainable security without it.”
“Lebanon is ready for negotiations in order to end the Israeli occupation, but any negotiation cannot be from one side but rather needs a mutual will, something that is not available until the moment. As for the negotiation shape, time and place, that would be decided later,” Aoun went on to say.
Source: Naharnet
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