President Michel Aoun said on Friday that "Lebanon is a peace-loving country which neither produces nor uses landmines."
"We exist next to an enemy, Israel, that uses mines as weapons undeterredly," Aoun said.
"Lebanon is still suffering from the landmines and cluster bombs the Israeli enemy used in its hostilities on Lebanon during the 2006 July war," he added.
"Lebanon does not oppose joining the Ottawa Treaty on the prohibition of anti-personnel mines," he underlined, stressing that Lebanon is working hard on demining its lands.
Aoun made these remarks during his meeting at Baabda palace with Goodwill Ambassador Princess Astrid of Belgium, the Special Envoy of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention or Ottawa Treaty.
For her part, Princess Astrid congratulated Aoun on the UN endorsement of establishing the Academy for Human Encounters and Dialogue in Lebanon.
She also heaped praise on Lebanon's demining efforts.
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