The President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, warned of the danger of any security vacuum occurring in southern Lebanon with the approaching end of the mission of the International Emergency Forces (UNIFIL), stressing that Beirut welcomes an alternative international force if it is not possible to extend the current forces, to follow up on the implementation of Resolution 1701 and support the Lebanese army in extending state authority to the international borders.
President Aoun’s position came when he received, on Wednesday afternoon at Baabda Palace, the British government’s senior advisor for defense affairs in the Middle East, Admiral Edward Algren, where he stressed that the absence of “UNIFIL” and the absence of an alternative force will create a vacuum that threatens regional security and stability, especially in light of the continued Israeli presence in southern villages and towns.
In a related context, Aoun touched on the process of the “Framework Agreement,” accusing Israel of refraining from implementing it, and indicating that it is not committed to a ceasefire, or stopping the destruction and bulldozing of homes, or correcting the disputed points on the “Blue Line,” in addition to not returning Lebanese prisoners; These are practices that he confirmed keep the tension alive despite the Lebanese tireless efforts to implement the terms of the agreement.
The Lebanese President also briefed the British official on the results of the preparatory meeting held in Paris last week in preparation for the international conference to support the army and internal security forces, explaining that Lebanon submitted a report on the needs of the two institutions and received encouraging responses. The meeting also included discussing the economic reforms led by the government in cooperation with Parliament, in addition to the file of Lebanese-Syrian relations and joint coordination.
For his part, Admiral Algren renewed the United Kingdom’s support for Lebanon in various fields, especially the military establishment, praising the official positions of the Lebanese leadership, especially those announced by President Aoun during his field visit to the Nabatieh region to inspect the damage, and his affirmation of the state’s commitment to extending its sovereignty over the entire southern border and removing armed manifestations in areas where the army is deployed.
President Aoun’s warnings fall within an intensified Lebanese diplomatic move to avoid any security vacuum after the end of UNIFIL’s mandate, coinciding with a previous presidential welcome to the French-Italian efforts aimed at finding an alternative international framework that supports the army and preserves the stability of the south.
