President Joseph Aoun said on Thursday that his focus remains on moving the country forward and rebuilding state institutions, urging Lebanese at home and abroad to maintain faith in their country despite ongoing crises.

“We haven’t accomplished much compared to what is required,” Aoun admitted. “But what has been achieved thus far is essential for getting Lebanon back on the right track.”

“I’m not interested in looking back,” Aoun said. “My goal is to keep pushing ahead with the critical steps needed to rebuild the state.”

Speaking at Baabda Palace during a meeting with a delegation from the Egyptian-Lebanese Businessmen’s Friendship Association, Aoun reaffirmed his commitment to reviving trust, both between Lebanese citizens and the state, and between Lebanon and the international community.

“Our goal is to keep young Lebanese in their homeland and to create favorable conditions for expatriates to return,” he said. “This can only happen by ensuring political and security stability.”

Addressing the country’s challenges, Aoun said the current government has managed to implement several positive measures in a short time despite major obstacles. But he warned that entrenched interests are working to stall progress.

“Those benefiting from the collapse of the state will continue to obstruct reforms,” he said. “They want to preserve their gains by keeping the system dysfunctional.  But they won’t be able to stop us. The train has left the station, and it’s not stopping.”

The president also placed strong emphasis on the fight against corruption, saying this mission is at the core of his presidency and describing it as the root cause of Lebanon’s financial collapse.

“Ninety percent of my battle is focused on combating corruption,” he said, asserting that Lebanon is not bankrupt, but “stolen.”

"Once we hold the corrupt accountable, we will begin to restore trust in the state, both locally and internationally,” he said.

Aoun pointed to the judiciary’s role as central to this effort and highlighted an ongoing reform process.

“We have launched a judicial reform initiative starting with appointments, and there's more to come,” he said, adding that he is personally committed to shielding the judiciary from any form of pressure or interference.