Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the statement issued by the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council expressing support for Lebanon and its people as they confront current challenges, describing it as a reflection of the deep historical and fraternal ties between Lebanon and the GCC member states. Aoun praised the GCC's reaffirmation of the importance of preserving Lebanon's security, stability, and territorial integrity, as well as its commitment to supporting the country's reform agenda and strengthening state institutions in line with the Lebanese people's aspirations for a strong, capable, and just state. In a statement, Aoun also expressed his appreciation for the GCC's call for the Lebanese state to exercise sovereignty over its entire territory and for all weapons to remain exclusively in the hands of the country's legitimate institutions, in accordance with the Lebanese Constitution, relevant international resolutions, foremost among them UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and the decisions adopted by the Lebanese government in this regard. The Lebanese president further expressed his deep gratitude for the Gulf states' readiness to continue providing humanitarian and development support to Lebanon, saying such assistance would help ease the country's economic burdens and improve the living conditions of the Lebanese people. Aoun reaffirmed that Lebanon remains committed to maintaining the strongest relations with its Arab partners, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council states, and to further expanding cooperation across all fields in a manner that serves shared interests and reinforces regional stability. Also, Aoun welcomed on Friday France and Italy's efforts to set up a multinational coalition to succeed the UN peacekeeping force in his country, whose mandate expires at the end of the year. In his statement, he called the initiative "a sincere expression of the international commitment to supporting Lebanon's sovereignty and stability". On Thursday, French President Emmanual Macron said that France and Italty "want to launch a coalition for the post-UNIFIL arrangement, obviously in coordination with the European Union and the United Nations, to strengthen Lebanon's sovereignty and that of its armed forces" and prevent its territory from being "a foothold for regional escalation".
