NNA - President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, on Monday received at Baabda palace, a delegation from the American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL), headed by Edward Gabriel.

Ambassador Gabriel pointed that he will hold meetings with Prime Minister Judge Nawaf Salam, a number of ministers, politicians, and Lebanon’s Central Bank Governor.

Gabriel also indicated that he is carrying a message from Washington "emphasizing the need to disarm Hezbollah and implement the necessary reforms for Lebanon to receive financial aid, and that the US capital looks forward to changes in this regard being implemented quickly."

President Aoun welcomed the delegation, thanking them for their support. President Aoun emphasized that "reforms and disarmament are Lebanese demands, as well as demands of the international community and the United States." He added, "We are committed to working to achieve them."

President Aoun also indicated that he signed the banking secrecy law last week, adding that the government began discussing the draft law to restructure the banking sector last Friday and is scheduled to complete its discussions tomorrow. "Building trust is a step we have already begun," President Aoun emphasized.

On the other hand, the President of the Republic affirmed "Lebanon's full commitment to UN Resolution 1701," hailing UNIFIL's work in the South Litani sector. He also pointed "Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement."

As for the areas north of the Litani River, the president revelaed “We have already dismantled six camps that were under the control of Palestinian groups outside the camps. They are now free of weapons, which have been confiscated or destroyed."

Aoun stressed that "Lebanon needs time and space to resolve matters calmly." He considered that Israel's continued presence in the five points (hills) it occupied would not help Lebanon but will further complicate the situation. “Therefore, we call on the United States to pressure Israel to withdraw from them." He also noted that "three weeks ago, the government agreed to recruit 4,500 soldiers to increase our preparedness in the south."

In response to a question about his vision for disarming Hezbollah, President Aoun emphasized "the importance of resorting to dialogue," saying: "As I said in my inaugural speech, there is no place for any weapons or any armed groups except within the framework of the state. Matters are resolved through communication and dialogue, because, after all, Hezbollah is a Lebanese component."

He added: "We will soon begin working on devising the National Security Strategy, from which the National Defense Strategy will emerge."

The President of the Republic stressed that "the Lebanese position is unified, and we are all committed to working toward the same goal," adding, "Sometimes we have different opinions, and that's normal and constitutes the essence of democracy. We have to discuss and engage in dialogue. In the end, our goal is one."

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