Lebanese Prime Minister Warns Against Dragging Country into 'New Adventure Serving Foreign Interests'

Beirut, Nov 4 (KUNA) — Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned on Wednesday against dragging the country into “any new reckless adventure in service of external interests.” Speaking to journalists after a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Presidential Palace, Mikati said, “In light of the risks of renewed war in the region, I reiterate my warning against the dangers of pulling Lebanon into any new reckless adventure in the service of external interests and thrusting it into confrontations for which it lacks the luxury of bearing the consequences.”

He noted that Lebanese people, especially those in the south, have paid heavy prices in terms of lives, livelihoods, and homes, and that they have the right to live in safety and build their future away from the vortex of war, displacement, and destruction.

He stressed that protecting Lebanon is a national responsibility that requires prioritizing the country’s supreme interests above all else and committing to ensuring that decisions on war and peace rest exclusively with the state and its constitutional institutions. Mikati said, “We will not accept that a destiny chosen by no one be imposed on the Lebanese, nor that our country once again become a battleground for others’ conflicts. It is our duty to safeguard its sovereignty, protect its people, and make every effort to spare it a new war.”

He expressed his condemnation of “any Lebanese elements or groups intervening in the internal affairs of our Arab brothers, particularly engaging in any form of military activities that threaten the security and integrity of their countries, as recently announced by the government of our fraternal Yemen.” He added that such actions can only harm Lebanon and the interests of its citizens, emphasizing a strong commitment to “respecting the sovereignty and security of our brothers, preventing harm to them, and looking forward to strengthening and developing our relations with them on a solid foundation of mutual trust.” (End) A.Y.B./T.M.A.