BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 21 (UPI) -- The Lebanese and Palestinian presidents agreed Wednesday to support Beirut's efforts to enforce the state's monopoly on weapons by disarming Palestinian factions, preventing the use of Lebanese territory for attacks on Israel and enhancing cooperation to combat terrorism and extremism in refugee camps.
A joint communique issued after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with his Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun, shortly after arriving in Beirut for a three-day visit stated that both leaders affirmed the principle that weapons should be exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese state and emphasized the importance of respecting Lebanon's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
"The era of weapons outside the authority of the Lebanese state has come to an end, especially since the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples have, for decades, borne heavy costs, enormous losses and great sacrifices," the communique stated, as read by the spokeswoman for the Lebanese presidency, Najat Sharafeddine.
It added that the Palestinian side affirmed "its commitment not to use Lebanese territory as a launching pad for any military operations and to respect Lebanon's declared policy of non-interference in the affairs of other countries and staying away from regional conflicts."
