Aoun says talks with Israel aren’t sign of weakness, nor a compromise on sovereignty

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says his country is no longer an “arena” for anyone’s wars after a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war went into force.

“We are confident that we will save Lebanon… we have reclaimed Lebanon and Lebanon’s decision-making power for the first time in nearly half a century,” Aoun said in his first speech to the nation since the truce, adding: “Today, we negotiate for ourselves… we are no longer a pawn in anyone’s game, nor an arena for anyone’s wars, and we never will be again”.

“Now, we all stand before a new phase,” Aoun says. “It is the phase of transition from working on a ceasefire to working on permanent agreements that preserve the rights of our people, the unity of our land, and the sovereignty of our nation.”

He adds that direct talks with Israel are “not a sign of weakness nor a concession… negotiations do not mean, and will never mean, giving up any right, conceding any principle, or compromising the sovereignty of this nation.”