DUBAI: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday that negotiations remain the only viable path to avoid the destruction and suffering caused by war.
Aoun said that Lebanon had decided to pursue talks despite the obstacles and difficulties involved. He said the goals included securing the country’s south, deploying the army along the border, recovering prisoners, enabling displaced people to return and rebuilding the country.
“These goals cannot be achieved through war,” Aoun said, adding that negotiations were therefore the only option.
Speaking to a delegation from the Maronite General Council, Aoun said that rebuilding the country was a shared responsibility.
He said Lebanon’s national interest must take priority over personal interests and that the country’s youth remained central to its future.
He said his government had begun addressing corruption and pursuing economic and financial reforms, but that the war had undermined hopes for stronger economic growth.
