President Joseph Aoun, addressing the ministers at the beginning of the government session:
– The communications conducted with the aim of halting the military escalation, especially with U.S. President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the outcomes of the first meeting at the U.S. State Department, with Presidents Nabih Berri and Nawaf Salam apprised of them, focused on stopping the ceasefire violations and launching a negotiation track based on ending the state of war with Israel, its withdrawal from the occupied territories, the return of prisoners, the deployment of the army to the international borders, and addressing the sticking points around the Blue Line; and some media outlets have covered this file inaccurately, reporting incorrect information, and contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was never on the table for me at all.
– This evening, a meeting will be held in Washington to extend the ceasefire, which also includes stopping the destruction of homes, attacks on civilians, places of worship, journalists, medical personnel, and educational institutions—this is what Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad, will carry to the meeting, and she will do everything in her power to secure these items.
– The positive aspect lies in the fact that, for the first time, the Lebanon file is returning to the American table, and specifically to the table of the Secretary of State who also holds the position of National Security Advisor, which opens the door for us—if things proceed as they should—toward economic recovery, reconstruction, and more… and I hope to be able to visit Washington and hold a meeting with President Trump to brief him in detail on the true situation in Lebanon, as a phone call is not sufficient for such a matter or to reach an understanding; however, he was sympathetic to Lebanon and stated that he loves this country, and this is what we must build on for the future.
– We thank the brotherly and friendly countries for the humanitarian, health, and relief aid they have sent and continue to send, to alleviate the suffering of the displaced. – We will work to address the breaches that occurred to the ceasefire, through the meeting to be held today in Washington.
– As President of the Republic, I am responsible toward my country and people, and I will adopt any means capable of ending the war and destruction; I have met with many Lebanese, including the families of the State Security martyrs who were killed in Saraya al-Nabatieh, and they insist that they are exhausted and wish to end the wars that lead nowhere and do not achieve sustainable stability.
– I present to you the possibility of raising the transportation allowance for public sector employees, given the rise in oil prices due to current developments, in addition to granting them an exceptional one-time assistance.
: Lebanese Presidency