Latest news with #Rajji
Nahar Net
3 days ago
- Business
- Nahar Net
Araghchi reportedly tells Rajji Hezbollah disarmament a 'Lebanese decision'
by Naharnet Newsdesk 4 hours Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday told his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Rajji in a meeting in Beirut that the issue of disarming Hezbollah is a decision that is up to Lebanon to take, sources told Al-Arabiya's Al-Hadath channel. Araghchi also told Rajji that, in his personal opinion, 'diplomacy alone might not be sufficient' to end Israel's occupation of parts of south Lebanon, MTV reported. Rajji meanwhile told the Iranian visitor that 'there will be no reconstruction funds without disarming Hezbollah.' He also told him that 'coordination between the two countries should pass through the state' and that 'solutions should come through diplomacy,' the sources told Al-Hadath. Rajji added that 'military adventures' had not ended Israel's occupation and that 'they have put Lebanon in a difficult situation,' the sources added. Araghchi also met with Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. 'We look forward to having relations (with Lebanon) based on mutual respect and non-interference in each country's internal affairs,' Araghchi told reporters after meeting Berri. He added that Iran backs a national dialogue in Lebanon between rival groups. Iran condemns the occupation of Lebanese territories 'by the Zionist entity and supports all efforts exerted by the Lebanese government and people to expel the occupiers through any way including diplomatic methods," Araghchi said, referring to five posts Israel refused to withdraw from earlier this year. Iranian companies are ready to take part in Lebanon's reconstruction if the Lebanese government wants that, Araghchi added. Araghchi's visit comes after Iran's main Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, was weakened by a 14-month war with Israel that left much of the Iran-backed group's political and military leadership dead. Araghchi's visit is his first since October, which came at the height of the Israel-Hezbollah war that ended a month later with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The war killed more than 4,000 in Lebanon, displaced over 1 million people and caused destruction that the World Bank said will coast $11 billion in reconstruction. Since the war ended, army commander Joseph Aoun was elected president and prominent jurist and diplomat Nawaf Salam became the country's prime minister. Both Aoun and Salam have repeatedly said that only the state will monopolize the use of weapons in Lebanon. The visit also comes after the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad was removed from power in December by insurgent groups opposed to Iran's influence in the region. Assad was one of Tehran's closest allies in the Arab world and his country was a main link for the flow of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah. Over the past decades, Iran funded Hezbollah with billions of dollars and sent all types of weapons to the Lebanese group enjoying wide influence in the small nation through. Since the Israel-Hezbollah war ended, Lebanese authorities have taken tight measures at Beirut's airport to prevent the flow of funds from Iran to Hezbollah and flights by Iranian companies have been suspended to Beirut.
MTV Lebanon
22-05-2025
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
Rajji meets Georgian Parliamentary delegation, urges support for Lebanon's sovereignty
Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, received Chairman of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee Nikoloz Samkharadze in Beirut, accompanied by a parliamentary delegation. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties and regional developments. Samkharadze described the visit as historic, being the first of its kind by a Georgian parliamentary delegation to Lebanon. He thanked Lebanon for its support of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and extended an invitation to Minister Rajji to visit Georgia. In turn, Minister Rajji emphasized the need for international pressure on Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory, respect Lebanon's sovereignty, and release Lebanese detainees. He also highlighted the importance of expanding economic, trade, tourism, investment, and student exchange ties between the two countries.
LBCI
05-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
FM Rajji discusses South Lebanon and UNIFIL with UN envoy following her visit to Israel
Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji discussed the situation in southern Lebanon with U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, focusing on ongoing efforts to push Israel to uphold its commitments under the cessation of hostilities declaration, halt its attacks, and end its occupation of Lebanese territory. Hennis-Plasschaert briefed Rajji on the outcome of her recent visit to Israel in this context. The meeting also covered continued cooperation between Lebanon and UNIFIL, with Rajji underscoring the importance of enabling the peacekeeping force to carry out its mission in the south in line with its mandate, which is expected to be renewed in August.
L'Orient-Le Jour
03-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Rajji: Lebanon demands exclusive state control of weapons
The state monopoly on arms "is a demand of the Lebanese people and it serves their interests," said Foreign Minister Joe Rajji in an interview with the Saudi newspaper Okaz, published Friday. "Lebanon is working to extend its sovereignty over the entire territory and to eliminate any armed organization outside the control of the state," he assured. The minister continued: "It is no longer possible to tolerate the existence of any party outside the framework of the legitimate state, engaged in military or security actions [on their own]. This applies to all organizations, groups, cells, etc., Lebanese or otherwise. The presence of weapons in the [Palestinian] camps cannot be justified by resistance to Israel or the liberation of Jerusalem." The Lebanese foreign minister refers to the thorny issue of disarming Hezbollah and the state monopoly on arms, which has become pressing since the last war with Israel (2023-2024). The disarmament does not only concern Hezbollah but also extends to the much older issue of weapons in Palestinian camps, also been beyond the control of the Lebanese state for decades. However, in his remarks, Rajji acknowledged that there are differences between Palestinian weapons in the camps and those of Hezbollah. "Lebanon supports all Arab causes, notably the right of Palestinians to return home, but they are refugees on Lebanese territory and this does not give them the right to bear arms and interfere in Lebanese affairs," he stressed, emphasizing that "we will not allow the events of 1975 to reoccur," referring to the start of the Lebanese Civil War. This long 15-year conflict began following incidents between Palestinian factions and Lebanese parties. Still on the Palestinian question, Rajji confirmed that there is an agreement with the Palestinian Authority (PA, Fateh) on the monopoly of arms, but the problem remains with Hamas. "We discover networks linked to this party every now and then, with elements recently arrested for launching rockets on Israel from Lebanon," he said. However, he placed the "unconditional" withdrawal of Israelis from positions their army still occupies on the territory, as well as the delimitation of borders with the two neighbors and the return of Syrian refugees to their country, as absolute Lebanese priorities. "Peace and serenity" in the Syrian presidential palace The minister was asked about the relationship between the local government and the new regime in Damascus. He insisted on the respect of the sovereignty of the two countries and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, emphasizing the importance of internal Syrian stability. On a more personal level, he affirmed having felt "peace and serenity" upon entering the Syrian presidential palace, considering that "Lebanon has been relieved of a great burden," in reference to the fallen regime of Bashar al-Assad (overthrown in December 2024), while advocating "pragmatic relations with the Syrian neighbor." The foreign minister had accompanied Prime Minister Nawaf Salam during his visit to Damascus on April 15. Concerning the relationship with the Gulf countries, very disrupted during the previous mandate, Rajji emphasized that "some mistakes" were made, but that a "new stage is opening with the new mandate, which has been felt by Saudi authorities." President Joseph Aoun has already visited Saudi Arabia in March, Qatar in April, and has just completed a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He addressed the question of restoring relations between Lebanon and the Gulf monarchies in all these visits. Lebanon's foreign relations with many Gulf countries deteriorated following hostile statements, among other things, from figures in the March 8 camp in Lebanon, which includes Hezbollah. During the interview, Rajji paid tribute to Saudi Arabia "which has always stood by Lebanon" and whose role "is essential for the stability of Lebanon and the region." Boulos: A principle enshrined by the cease-fire agreement The state monopoly on arms, and consequently the disarmament of Lebanese and Palestinian militias, was also enshrined by the cease-fire agreement that entered into force in November 2024, which ended the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This was stated on Friday by Massaad Boulos, advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump on Middle East affairs, in an interview with the Qatari pan-Arab channel al-Jazeera. "The importance of this cease-fire agreement between Lebanon and Israel lies in the fact that it enshrined the principle of state monopoly on arms and paved the way for the Lebanese army to conduct its operations across the territory, and not just south of the Litani," he assured. The cease-fire agreement is based on the content of U.N. resolution 1701, which ended a previous conflict, that of 2006. The question of whether Hezbollah's disarmament and the dismantling of its military infrastructure should be limited to south of the Litani or extend to the entire territory divides Lebanese authorities and the international community on the one hand, who lean towards the latter explanation, and Hezbollah on the other, which defends the former. For the international community, the text is clear and stipulates a straightforward disarmament of the party's armed wing.
LBCI
23-04-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
In Cairo, FM Rajji outlines Lebanon's sovereignty policy and calls for Arab solidarity
Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji affirmed that Lebanon's new government is pursuing a clear policy based on asserting the state's sovereignty over all its territory, ensuring that weapons are exclusively in the hands of the state and that only the state holds the authority to decide on matters of war and peace. He also stressed the government's commitment to the National Pact, the Taif Accord, and genuine power-sharing between Lebanon's various communities—principles that bolster national unity and meaningful participation. Speaking at the 163rd session of the Arab League Council of Foreign Ministers in Cairo, Rajji reiterated Lebanon's commitment to peaceful and diplomatic solutions and the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 in all its provisions and clauses. He emphasized that Lebanon's legitimate security institutions, particularly the Lebanese Army, are determined to carry out these national responsibilities. Rajji also addressed Israel's ongoing aggression against Lebanon, stressing that while Lebanon has fully adhered to the terms of the cessation of hostilities agreement, Israel continues to undermine it through daily violations of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Rajji called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt its aggression and to compel it to fully, immediately, and unconditionally withdraw from all Lebanese territory, as well as to return to the 1949 Armistice Agreement. He also reaffirmed Lebanon's unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their just cause in establishing an independent state while rejecting any forced displacement or resettlement of Palestinians in another country. Rajji expressed Lebanon's rejection of any foreign interference in its internal affairs, emphasizing the importance of adopting a policy of positive neutrality, mutual respect for sovereignty, and shared Arab interests. He also stressed the need to build strategic partnerships with Arab states and to prevent any attempts to undermine their regimes or sovereignty.
