What did Aoun and Hezbollah delegation discuss?
by Naharnet Newsdesk 6 hours
President Joseph Aoun held a friendly meeting with a delegation from Hezbollah's Loyalty to Resistance bloc on Monday, after which sources from or close to the bloc lauded Aoun as 'very affable,' a media report said.
'President Aoun joked with the bloc members, talking about neighborliness between Jbaa, the hometown of MP Mohammad Raad, and al-Aishiyeh, the hometown of the president, with Aoun telling Raad: 'We are sons of the same region,'' the sources told Al-Jadeed television.
'The president did not mention any pressing deadlines or specific dates as to the issue of arms handover, but the conferees sensed the president's desire to offer 'something tangible' to the international community,' the sources added.
As for the issue of arms removal south of the Litani River, Aoun described the course of things as 'excellent and positive,' noting that Hezbollah has been 'very cooperative.'
The meeting also tackled several files, most notably the municipal elections, the general situation in Lebanon, the Israel-held Lebanese captives and post-war reconstruction, with Hezbollah's MPs telling Aoun that 'the people of the South are still without homes.'
The president responded, according to the sources, by saying that 'there is no link between weapons and reconstruction, explaining the role of the ministerial committee tasked with preparing the reconstruction study.'
Aoun added that he is seeking to hold an international conference with the participation of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the U.S., France and Egypt to rally support for Lebanon's reconstruction process.
Pressed by the delegation about Israel's daily strikes and violations and about Lebanese authorities' response in this regard, Aoun told Hezbollah's MPs that he is holding nonstop contacts in this regard with the international delegations and sides.
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