Salameh: No one speaks or negotiates on behalf of Lebanon except the Lebanese state
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed on Friday that no one speaks or negotiates on behalf of Lebanon except the Lebanese state, emphasizing the need to work to avoid a vacuum following the withdrawal of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The National News Agency quoted Salam as saying before the United Nations General Assembly today: “It is true that Lebanon is affected by what is happening in its surroundings, but that does not mean we accept becoming a battleground for others’ conflicts or a bargaining chip in their hands. Lebanon’s future is not decided on its behalf, and its security and stability must not be the price of settlements reached in its absence.”
He added: “Our position on the war has been clear from the beginning: we want it to stop, we want the ceasefire to be consolidated, and we want Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territories up to our internationally recognized borders, in accordance with the 1949 Armistice Agreement, as reaffirmed by Resolution 1701. We also want the release of all our prisoners, the safe and dignified return of our people to their villages and towns, and the reconstruction of what the war has destroyed.”
He continued: “The sovereignty we uphold is indivisible: it requires Israel’s withdrawal from all Lebanese territories, as well as the extension of the Lebanese state’s authority, through its own forces, over its entire territory, and the exclusive control of weapons by the state alone. On these two principles, and on the foundations of reciprocity and temporariness, the tripartite framework reached in the negotiations is built.”
He stressed that “the success of any agreement is not measured by declared intentions, but by the implementation of commitments. Therefore, what is required today is to complete the translation of this framework into practical steps, within a clear timetable, and with a verification mechanism that ensures the implementation of all its provisions.”
Salam said: “What we must emphasize today, here, is the necessity of working to avoid the vacuum that may result from the withdrawal of UNIFIL forces if it occurs without agreement on a new international force to replace them, ensuring the continuation of monitoring, reporting, and communication tasks, and complementing its role with the requirements for implementing the tripartite framework.”
He added: “Restoring territory does not merely mean the withdrawal of occupying forces from it, but also the return of its people to it, and the return of life to their villages and towns,” calling for continued provision of the necessary funding to meet the basic needs of those affected, especially displaced persons, in parallel with the requirements for early recovery, reconstruction, and development.
