AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Nawaf Salam, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, emphasized the necessity of a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and said that weapons and decision-making about war and peace must be exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese government.
According to Russia Al-Youm, Salam, in his account on the X social network, referring to his meetings in New York, including his presence at Trump's meeting with the leaders of Arab and Islamic countries, wrote that these meetings focused on intensifying efforts to reduce tension and prevent Lebanon and the region from being dragged into more conflicts, strengthening Lebanon's relations with Arab, regional, and international countries based on respect for sovereignty, non-interference, and common interests, and expanding economic and investment cooperation as well as creating regional connections, especially in the fields of energy, electricity, transportation, and infrastructure.
Salam added that in these meetings, the issue of preparing for the post-mission phase of "UNIFIL" was also examined. Since the mission of these forces ends at the end of this year, we need the continuation of the international presence in the south to carry out monitoring, reporting, and communication tasks, and we do not want a vacuum to be created after the end of UNIFIL's mission.
Salam added, "I know that ideas have been raised about forming a European force, whether French, Italian, or from other countries; but our position is clear: we want any international force in southern Lebanon to operate under the cover and framework of a resolution issued by the United Nations Security Council."
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