Salam says Lebanon seeking US guarantees

Amid preparations for the third round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Washington, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam clarified that "at the top of our agenda is solidifying the ceasefire."

"Our demands are well-known: a timetable for the Israeli withdrawal, the release of prisoners and their return to Lebanon, and the return of displaced persons to their towns and villages, thus enabling the commencement of reconstruction," Salam said in an interview with An-Nahar newspaper.

Regarding Lebanon's demands from the United States, he stated: "We want and are working with the American side to translate what was mentioned twice in the statement issued by the US Embassy in Beirut concerning the negotiations into concrete action. The statement spoke of American guarantees, and we are seeking and demanding a practical and effective implementation of these guarantees."

Salam reiterated that "no one negotiates on behalf of Lebanon except the Lebanese state, although we are fully aware that the future of the negotiations is affected by the Islamabad negotiations concerning the war between Iran, the United States, and Israel."

On the other hand, commenting on his visit to Damascus last Saturday, he noted: "We will remain in constant contact to confront the shared challenges in the region, and we have succeeded in giving new impetus to the necessary cooperation between Lebanon and Syria for the common good, within the framework of a sound state-to-state relationship."

He added: "We have concluded the work of the Supreme Council, which had been frozen, but we need a permanent cooperation framework. We are in the process of forming a joint high-level committee, similar to the existing high-level committees between Lebanon and Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan."