President Joseph Aoun on Friday welcomed a Franco-Italian initiative aimed at shaping an international framework for the post-UNIFIL phase in southern Lebanon, describing it as a sign of continued international backing for Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability.

The initiative, announced by French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, seeks to build an international coalition to support arrangements following the eventual drawdown or transition of the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon.

Aoun said the proposal reflected “a sincere expression of the international commitment to supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability, and a genuine recognition of the role played by the Lebanese Armed Forces in maintaining security and extending state authority across all Lebanese territory, particularly in the southern border areas.”

He also welcomed what he described as a shared French and Italian understanding that no dangerous security vacuum should emerge after the UNIFIL mission, aligning with Beirut’s position that the Lebanese Army should remain the central security guarantor in the south.

Aoun stressed that the Lebanese State is open to any international arrangement that strengthens its armed forces, reinforces national sovereignty, and prevents Lebanon from becoming a stage for regional escalation or conflict spillover.

He reiterated Lebanon’s willingness to coordinate closely with international partners in order to serve national interests and support stability in the wider region, underscoring the army’s role as the backbone of state authority in border areas.