Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed Thursday that the path of negotiations chosen by Lebanon constituted “the quickest and least expensive option” for the country, the Lebanese and the inhabitants of the South, the day after the announcement of an agreement on the implementation of a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel.
At the opening of the meeting of the Council of Ministers, he presented as the next concrete step the deployment of the Lebanese army in pilot areas, stressing that this measure did not call into question the objective of a complete Israeli withdrawal but should on the contrary facilitate its achievement. He called on all parties to make national interest prevail over all other considerations, believing that those who delay or refuse the implementation of this commitment should assume responsibility before history and before the Lebanese.
Returning to the discussions held in Washington on June 2 and 3, Nawaf Salam welcomed the declarations of President Joseph Aoun, recalling that the Lebanese delegation had had to face strong Israeli intransigence. He reaffirmed that Beirut’s demands remained unchanged since the start of the talks: a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the return of residents to their villages in safety and dignity.
The head of government also insisted on the fact that the absence of armed men and weapons south of the Litani did not constitute a requirement imposed from the outside, but a commitment made by Lebanon when it adhered to resolution 1701 in 2006. As for the arms monopoly by the state throughout the territory, he considered that the country had delayed too long in applying the provisions provided for in the Taif agreement and included in the ministerial declaration.
As for ministerial decisions, the Cabinet tasked the Secretary General of the Council, Mahmoud Makkiyé, with assuming the functions of Director General of the Cannabis Cultivation Regulatory Authority until the appointment of a holder. The government also approved several ordinary items on the agenda and decided to exempt the Ministry of Education from the organization of patent examinations for the year 2026.
