Paris, July 16 (QNA) – Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raji said on Thursday that Lebanon’s objective in the negotiations is to secure a full Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory.
Speaking at a conference hosted by the French Senate under the title “Solidarity with Lebanon: Local Authorities at the Heart of the Franco-Lebanese Partnership,” Raji said the negotiations aim to gradually extend the authority of the Lebanese Armed Forces across the entire country, including the south. He stressed that no country can fully establish its institutions and sovereignty while part of its territory remains under occupation.
He stated that the occupation weakens state institutions, fuels tensions, delays political and security stability, and prevents the state from exercising full authority over its territory. He added that lasting stability can only be achieved when the state has the sole legitimate authority to use force.
Raji said that no state can enjoy full sovereignty while foreign military forces remain on its territory, nor can it achieve full sovereignty unless its legitimate institutions alone exercise public authority and hold the exclusive right to use force.
He also called on France to expand its partnership with Lebanon beyond expressions of solidarity by supporting efforts to strengthen state institutions, reinforce stability, and enable the state to fully exercise its authority and responsibilities.
Lebanon and the Israeli entity recently held a sixth round of negotiations at the US Embassy in Rome to discuss arrangements for implementing the agreement signed in Washington last June.