Dawoodi affirms UK’s “firm and constant support for Lebanon” to Raji; “Parliamentary Foreign Affairs”: Army deployment a strategic decision

Foreign Minister and Minister of Expatriates Youssef Raji, in a phone call he received from British Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa Stephen Doughty, discussed the United Kingdom’s “firm and sustained support for Lebanon,” as Doughty confirmed to him. They also addressed the situation in the Cedar country and the region, and discussed the future of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission after its mandate expires. Minister Raji requested that Britain exert pressure on Israel to halt its ongoing attacks on Lebanese territory, in addition to reviewing progress made so far on the process of arms restriction. Doughty accepted Raji’s invitation to visit Lebanon at the earliest possible opportunity.

In a parallel development, the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, chaired by MP Fadi Marka, with the attendance of Defense Minister Major General Michel Mansour, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and ambassadors representing diplomatic missions of member states of the UN Security Council and the international community, discussed field developments in the south and the coordination of joint diplomatic efforts to urge the UN Security Council to extend UNIFIL’s mandate and support the full implementation of Resolution 1701.

Marka stated that the most prominent point emphasized by the attendees was “the pivotal role of UNIFIL, whose presence is considered a cornerstone of stability and the sole mechanism for communication to prevent friction and escalation along the Blue Line.” He regarded the deployment of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River as a fixed strategic decision of the Lebanese state and a logistical and operational partnership with UNIFIL, which is an essential condition to enable the army to complete its deployment gradually without creating any security gaps.

He added: “We focused on whether adjustments to UNIFIL’s readiness would be made. We call for adopting a realistic approach that links any reduction or adjustment to UNIFIL’s tasks with the technical and operational progress of the Lebanese Army, rather than relying on predetermined dates, which could lead to uncalculated repercussions on the ground, particularly given the Israeli attacks we are witnessing on southern Lebanon.”