Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday that the state alone has the authority to negotiate on behalf of Lebanon, stressing that direct negotiations with Israel are not an easy matter.
اضافة اعلان
Speaking during a government accountability session in Parliament, Salam said his government had worked to strengthen Lebanon’s position on the regional map, noting that it had succeeded in reconnecting the Lebanese economy with its Arab hinterland, particularly Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
He stressed that there can be no lasting stability without extending state authority across the country through its own institutions and forces, and without placing decisions on war and peace solely in the hands of the state.
“I am not someone who negotiates simply for the sake of negotiating, but it is the responsibility of the state to choose the least costly path for the Lebanese people to achieve its objectives,” Salam said.
He added that negotiations in themselves do not constitute a surrender of rights, but rather a means of restoring them through diplomatic channels.
Regarding the framework agreement, Salam said: “It is understandable that some may disagree with the substance of the framework agreement. But to say that it contains new obligations for Lebanon is something that raises questions.”
