BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 8. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun told European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas that “negotiation is an alternative to war and agreement is the only means to end the state of hostility between Lebanon and Israel”.
During a meeting with Kallas in Beirut, Aoun’s office said the president stressed that the Lebanese army “is fully performing its duty in the areas where it is deployed south of the Litani in implementation of the ‘Framework Agreement,’ while Israel still refuses to implement its provisions”.
Aoun also emphasized what he described as the “interconnection between Lebanon’s stability and the stability of Europe and the region”.
According to Aoun’s office, Kallas assured the Lebanese president that the European Union “is ready to provide the necessary assistance to Lebanon, especially to the army, the Internal Security Forces and the entities concerned with social and humanitarian aspects”.
The meeting comes as a fragile ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel has halted the most extensive fighting involving Iran-backed Hezbollah, while Israeli violations of the truce and the occupation of parts of southern Lebanon continue, according to Lebanese officials.
