Aoun: Necessity of alignment between Lebanese and American positions to implement the framework agreement and achieve the first Israeli withdrawal

Beirut - Mansour Shaaban: With the arrival of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and First Lady Naima Aoun in Washington, where attention is focused on the Lebanon-US summit convened at the invitation of President Donald Trump, the Lebanese political public appears divided on the matter, ranging from supporters and those holding back to a middle ground hoping it will contribute to halting continuous Israeli aggression and compelling Israel to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory.

President Aoun began his official meetings yesterday at the US State Department building with a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed the necessity of aligning the Lebanese position with the American stance regarding the implementation of the Tripartite Framework Agreement through achieving the first Israeli withdrawal from Model Area One.

According to a statement from the Lebanese Presidency, Aoun emphasized during his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington the need to enhance American support for the Lebanese Army and Lebanese military institutions, and to take necessary steps to cement American interest in Lebanon across economic and investment dimensions in various sectors, particularly energy, telecommunications, and transportation.

For his part, Secretary Rubio said: “We support the positions of the President of the Republic and the steps he has taken to restore Lebanese state sovereignty over its entire territory, implement the Tripartite Framework Agreement, and revive Lebanon’s role through the return of economic prosperity and the extension of state sovereignty over its entire territory.”

The US Secretary of State added that “Lebanon cannot be annexed to any other negotiation track, and Lebanese sovereignty can only be determined by a Lebanese decision issued by Lebanese constitutional institutions.”

For her part, the US State Department commended the Lebanese government’s efforts “to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah, and dismantle its infrastructure.”

In a statement, the US State Department said that Secretary Marco Rubio renewed his confirmation of US support for the successful implementation of the Framework Agreement. The US State Department commended the Lebanese government’s efforts “to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah, and dismantle its infrastructure,” considering that this “moves forward toward peace.”

Regarding President Aoun’s visit program, coordination had preceded it with the presidents of the Chamber of Deputies, Nabih Berri, and the Council of Ministers, Nawaf Salam, regarding what would be discussed with senior US officials. President Berri’s position is well known for insisting on the Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and its timeline.