Sec. Rubio meets with Lebanese President Aoun to discuss Trilateral Framework
Rubio commended the Lebanese government's efforts to disarm Hezbollah and reaffirmed US support for the framework's implementation
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington today. They discussed the implementation of the Trilateral Framework. The secretary commended the courage of the Government of Lebanon, under President Aoun's leadership, for their determined effort to reclaim Lebanon's sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and move toward peace.
The secretary reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to supporting the successful implementation of a Trilateral Framework and to backing the Government of Lebanon's efforts to deliver peace, economic recovery, and a better future for the Lebanese people.
The trilateral framework agreement is between the US, Lebanon, and Israel.
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"We support the positions of the President of the Republic and the steps he has taken to restore the sovereignty of the Lebanese state over all its territories, implement the tripartite working agreement, and revive Lebanon's role through the return of economic prosperity and the extension of state sovereignty over all its territories," Rubio said. "Lebanon cannot be an annex to any other negotiating track, and Lebanese sovereignty can only be achieved by a Lebanese decision issued by the Lebanese constitutional institutions."
During the meeting, Aoun raised the necessity for the Lebanese position to align with the US position by achieving the first Israeli withdrawal from the first model area. He also discussed strengthening US support for the Lebanese army and Lebanese military institutions, and taking steps to institutionalize US interest in Lebanon on the economic and investment levels across sectors, including energy, communications, and transportation.
US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa described the meeting as positive and comprehensive, saying all files were reviewed. Asked about recent reports of unilateral Syrian military interventions against Hezbollah targets inside Lebanese borders, Issa said, "We are certain that this involvement is meaningless, and Rubio does not support it."