President Aoun urges EU support for army, economic recovery, and sovereignty restoration

President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s national and sovereign principles during a meeting with a European delegation and ambassadors from the European Union on Thursday. 

In his remarks, he called for robust support to help Lebanon reclaim full control over its territory and urged the launch of a comprehensive initiative to strengthen the Lebanese army by all available means.

Aoun warned that the absence of the Lebanese army could trigger serious security deterioration, not only within Lebanon but across the broader region. 

He stressed the need to lift existing European sanctions on Lebanon and proposed convening a joint Arab-European conference aimed at rebuilding the country and revitalizing its economy, in parallel with efforts to restore full national sovereignty.

The president also said that a law to restructure the banking sector is expected to pass in Parliament by the end of the month, and a financial gap law is currently being finalized by a high-level working group.

On the Syrian refugee crisis, Aoun reiterated the importance of facilitating the safe, dignified, and coordinated return of Syrian nationals, particularly as stability has returned to some regions in Syria. 

He also noted the ongoing positive security cooperation along the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Addressing the situation in Palestinian camps, Aoun reminded the delegation that Lebanon is still awaiting the implementation of an initiative proposed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to regulate weapons inside the camps through the work of a joint committee.

For her part, European Union Ambassador Sandra De Waele affirmed the EU’s strong and continued presence in Lebanon. 

She commended the goals laid out by Aoun during his oath of office. 

European ambassadors echoed support for Lebanon’s stance on the refugee issue, noting that concrete steps were already underway to address it.