Aoun says priority for border residents' return, lauds Paris talks

President Joseph Aoun on Friday emphasized “the priority of the return of the border villages’ residents to their villages, homes and land as a gateway for discussing all the other details” with Israel, after the U.S.-led Mechanism committee held a second meeting in the presence of Lebanese and Israeli civilian officials.

Aoun voiced his remarks in a meeting with Ambassador Simon Karam, the head of the Lebanese delegation to the Mechanism meetings, who briefed him on Friday’s discussions in Naqoura.

“The meeting also involved a detailed demonstration of the Lebanese Army has accomplished in a documented manner and it was agreed on January 7, 2026 as a date for the next meeting,” the Presidency said.

A U.S. Embassy statement said civilian participants at Friday's Mechanism meeting "focused on setting conditions for residents to return safely to their homes, advancing reconstruction, and addressing economic priorities."

Separately, Aoun welcomed the U.S.-French-Saudi agreement announced yesterday in Paris to hold a special international conference to support the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces.

"The Lebanese Army, the Internal Security Forces, and other security forces represent the fundamental guarantee of Lebanon's security, stability and sovereignty. Supporting them is an investment in Lebanon's stability and future, and in its ability to extend its sovereignty over all its territories and protect its borders," Aoun said.

"We highly value the leading role of the United States, France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in this endeavor, and we look forward to broad international cooperation at this conference to provide the necessary support to modernize the capabilities of the army and security agencies and enhance their readiness," the president added.

He affirmed: "We are committed to utilizing this support with the utmost transparency and responsibility, to build strong and modern security and defense institutions capable of protecting Lebanon and contributing to the establishment of security and stability."

"Lebanon looks with great hope to this conference as a crucial step on the path to rebuilding the state, strengthening its sovereignty, and restoring its regional and international role," the president concluded.