• Defends Israel talks as ‘diplomatic war’, not betrayal• Syrian FM rules out any military action in Beirut
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday defended a recently signed US-backed framework agreement with Israel, arguing the negotiations are not a betrayal and vowing he will not surrender “a single inch of Lebanese territory”.
The statements came as Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visited Beirut to assure Aoun that Damascus has no intention of intervening militarily in Lebanon, despite pressure from the United States to do so.
Aoun said Beirut decided to engage in talks “to guarantee Israel’s withdrawal from its territory”.
Lebanon last week signed the framework agreement aimed at securing peace between the two nations, a move that sparked major protests from Hezbollah.
