WASHINGTON/BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told US President Donald Trump on Tuesday that a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory was essential to consolidating stability and enabling the state to extend its authority, the Lebanese presidency said.
In their first meeting, the two leaders discussed plans to disarm the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and secure Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon.
The Lebanese presidency said they also discussed US support for Lebanon’s army, reconstruction, economic recovery and American investment.
Aoun’s nearly two-hour visit took place as Israeli troops continue to occupy a swath of the country’s south and hundreds of thousands of Lebanese remain displaced following Israeli strikes.
Hezbollah has rejected the government’s direct talks with Israel as well as efforts by the state to disarm it.
