President Aoun stated during the launch of the Fourth Diaspora Economic Conference in the Lebanese capital, Beirut: “We must connect Lebanon to a productive regional role, and the expatriate should be present in reconstruction, regional projects, and major transformations that reshape the economic map of the region.” He pointed out that “since the beginning of the crisis, only one lifeline remained open, which is the Lebanese expatriate, proving that expatriation was never distant from Lebanon but has always been its support and hope.” He thanked the expatriates for “their efforts for Lebanon.” On July 31, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on political forces in the country, particularly “Hezbollah,” to seize the current moment and hand over weapons to the Lebanese army as soon as possible, emphasizing the necessity of confining military and security decisions to the legitimate military institution. This statement was made from the Ministry of Defense headquarters on the occasion of Army Day, according to the official page of the Lebanese presidency on the “X” website.
