ON THE SIGNING OF THE LEBANON–ISRAEL FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT
The Lebanese Private Sector Network welcomes the signing in Washington of the Trilateral Framework between Lebanon, Israel and the United States - an important milestone and a historic opportunity to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, reinforce its institutions, place all weapons under the exclusive authority of the State, and lay the foundations for lasting stability and prosperity. This is the path we have consistently called for: in April, we urged the continuation of negotiations toward a comprehensive agreement that fully restores sovereignty over all Lebanese territory. Today’s framework is a first step on that road.
First and foremost, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the people of South Lebanon, who for decades have borne the burden of occupation, war, displacement and uncertainty. We sincerely hope this agreement marks the beginning of the complete withdrawal of the Israeli Army from all Lebanese territory, enabling our fellow citizens to return permanently to their homes, cultivate their lands, rebuild their communities, and live in peace, dignity and security.
We congratulate His Excellency President General Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam, and the Council of Ministers for delivering this national accomplishment through the State’s constitutional institutions. We salute the Lebanese Army, its officers and its valiant soldiers and urge them to fully execute the government’s decision to place all arms exclusively under the authority of the State and its armed forces. We also thank Ambassador Simon Karam, Head of the Lebanese Negotiating Delegation, and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, for their steadfast service and commitment to the Lebanese national interest.
For the private sector, this moment is more than diplomatic. Stability is not optional, it is existential: the foundation for investment, reconstruction, and the jobs Lebanon urgently needs. A sovereign State exercising exclusive authority over security and defence is the precondition for recovery. The private sector stands ready to carry its share : to invest, to rebuild, and, as we set out in The Private Sector Sounds the Alarm, to ensure reconstruction is anchored in transparency, independent oversight and full private-sector participation. There is no prosperity without stability, and no stability without sovereignty.
We call upon all Lebanese parties, parliamentary blocs and national forces to rise above division and to support the implementation of this framework as a national achievement that serves every citizen. To Hezbollah, we say: completing the process of placing all arms under the exclusive authority of the State will, first and foremost, benefit the people of South Lebanon turning sacrifice into stability, confrontation into reconstruction, and uncertainty into hope for future generations. Today is not a moment for partisan calculation, but to unite behind the State, its institutions and its constitutional decisions.
Lebanon now has a unique opportunity to close a painful chapter of its history and begin building a future founded on sovereignty, security, economic recovery, investment and sustainable development. The Network calls upon all Lebanese to seize this historic opportunity with wisdom, courage and national responsibility.