President Joseph Aoun received a delegation from the Maronite General Council, headed by engineer Michel Matta.
During the meeting, Aoun stressed that “building nations is a shared responsibility and does not fall on the shoulders of one person or one side alone,” with each party acting within its respective position and role. He emphasized that “the national interest must remain the priority and take precedence over any personal interest” in order to put the country back on the right track.
Aoun said that Lebanon’s youth and new generation are “the country’s main driving force,” adding that the lessons learned from Lebanon’s history and the many crises it has endured, particularly since 2019, show that the resilience of the Lebanese people and their faith in their country have been the foundation for overcoming difficulties and keeping Lebanon standing.
He said the government has begun addressing the issue of corruption, which had been entrenched for years, stressing that “we are waging a war against those who reject the logic of the state, while we want the state.”
Aoun noted that the government has taken economic and financial reform measures that are “not sufficient,” but have nevertheless achieved growth. He said Lebanon had expected that growth to increase this year, “but the war dashed that hope.” Despite this, he stressed, “Lebanon remains standing and its institutions remain in place.”
On negotiations, Aoun said, “We took the decision to negotiate to avoid the devastation and tragedies caused by the war. It is true that negotiations are neither easy nor quick and that there are obstacles and difficulties, but they remain far better than war.”
He stressed that the sides share the same objectives: “liberating the South, deploying the army up to the border, recovering the prisoners, enabling residents to return, and rebuilding.” These goals, he said, cannot be achieved through war, as experience has shown, “so there is no option but negotiation.”
During the meeting, Aoun stressed that “building nations is a shared responsibility and does not fall on the shoulders of one person or one side alone,” with each party acting within its respective position and role. He emphasized that “the national interest must remain the priority and take precedence over any personal interest” in order to put the country back on the right track.
Aoun said that Lebanon’s youth and new generation are “the country’s main driving force,” adding that the lessons learned from Lebanon’s history and the many crises it has endured, particularly since 2019, show that the resilience of the Lebanese people and their faith in their country have been the foundation for overcoming difficulties and keeping Lebanon standing.
He said the government has begun addressing the issue of corruption, which had been entrenched for years, stressing that “we are waging a war against those who reject the logic of the state, while we want the state.”
Aoun noted that the government has taken economic and financial reform measures that are “not sufficient,” but have nevertheless achieved growth. He said Lebanon had expected that growth to increase this year, “but the war dashed that hope.” Despite this, he stressed, “Lebanon remains standing and its institutions remain in place.”
On negotiations, Aoun said, “We took the decision to negotiate to avoid the devastation and tragedies caused by the war. It is true that negotiations are neither easy nor quick and that there are obstacles and difficulties, but they remain far better than war.”
He stressed that the sides share the same objectives: “liberating the South, deploying the army up to the border, recovering the prisoners, enabling residents to return, and rebuilding.” These goals, he said, cannot be achieved through war, as experience has shown, “so there is no option but negotiation.”
