Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said wars rarely unfold as either side expects and can end only through negotiations and dialogue, warning that their continuation would lead to further destruction, casualties, and bloodshed.
Speaking to a delegation from the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church, headed by Patriarch John X Yazigi, Aoun said the primary objectives of negotiations were to secure the Israeli occupation’s withdrawal from occupied territories, free prisoners, ensure the return of displaced people, rebuild what had been destroyed, and deploy the Lebanese Army across all Lebanese territory.
“There is no disagreement in Lebanon over these objectives; the differences lie in the approach and methods used to achieve them,” Aoun said.
“When the South is wounded, the wound affects all of Lebanon,” he added, stressing that the state bears responsibility for its citizens. However, he said the wars imposed on Lebanon had negatively affected efforts to restore state institutions in the South and achieve a range of accomplishments.
President Aoun noted that significant progress had nevertheless been made in several areas, particularly economic, financial, administrative, and judicial reforms.
He said the country’s foremost priority was to rebuild trust between the people and the state, as well as between Lebanese residents and expatriates.
President Joseph Aoun: The primary objective of negotiations is to secure Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territory, the release of prisoners, the return of displaced people, reconstruction, and the deployment of the Lebanese Army across all Lebanese territory. https://t.co/aLTRVqHtI9
— Al-Manar English (@manarenglish) October 21, 2026
“Our unity is the foundation. We have one homeland, one flag, and one identity,” Aoun said, invoking Pope John Paul II’s description of Lebanon as a “message.” He stressed that the country’s diversity and pluralism were sources of strength that should be put to good use.
President Aoun also criticized those who fuel sectarian and denominational tensions for personal gain at the expense of the country, as well as those who cooperate with foreign parties against their fellow Lebanese at home.
“This is our problem in Lebanon, when we should be drawing strength from one another at home to confront those outside,” he said.
For his part, Patriarch Yazigi told President Aoun that Lebanon was living through an extraordinary period that demanded unconventional decisions.
“We are living in extraordinary times that require you, with wisdom and discernment, to take the lead in making unconventional decisions to steer Lebanon through the mines of international politics, which have exploded and continue to explode in conflicts between rival axes,” Yazigi said.
He added that the delegation stood with the president as he shouldered “the historic responsibility,” expressing confidence in his wisdom.
“As Eastern Christians, we see Lebanon, built on the principle of equal representation between Christians and Muslims, as a symbol of our Christian presence in this part of the world,” Yazigi said.
“We will remain here, as firmly rooted as the cedars of Lebanon, affirming the need to extend a hand to our Muslim brothers to help this country rise again,” he added.
Source: Al-Manar Website