Lebanese President: We Chose Negotiations Because We Are a Sovereign State

Al-Taj News – Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that Lebanon chose negotiations because it is a sovereign state, stressing that this decision serves Lebanon’s interests and is not intended to satisfy any external party.

Aoun added, during his meeting with a delegation from the “Lebanon Youth Movement,” that “loyalty should be to our country,” warning that anyone who seeks external support against others inside the country will ultimately lose, because the outside will abandon him sooner or later.

He affirmed that none of the wars Lebanon has witnessed had a winner; rather, everyone lost and the country lost, stressing that his call to “end the state of hostility with Israel” means ending the wars that destroyed the country and claimed innocent lives, emphasizing that Lebanon is no longer able to bear them.

He said that “any other interpretation is wrong and suspicious.”

Regarding domestic affairs, Aoun affirmed that he would not back down from the reforms he committed to in his inaugural address, explaining that the delay in implementing them resulted from the war that targeted Lebanon, and stressing the continuation of efforts to achieve them as they represent the image of the new Lebanon.

He also noted that Lebanon is waging a battle against corruption, affirming that combating it is achieved through the judiciary, digital government, and the cooperation of Lebanese citizens with the state.