President of the National Dialogue Party, MP Fouad Makhzoumi, accompanied by Political Advisor Carol Zouein, visited Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rai at the Patriarchal See in Dimane.
Following the meeting, Makhzoumi said that the visit was intended to congratulate His Beatitude on the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, wishing that the occasion would return each year with health and well-being for all Lebanese.
He noted that the discussions covered several issues, foremost among them the historic decision adopted by the government on August 5 and 7 concerning placing all weapons under the authority of the state and implementing the ceasefire agreement signed on November 27, 2024. He stressed that this decision is, first and foremost, a Lebanese demand.
Makhzoumi added that international envoys, including U.S. Special Envoy Ambassador Tom Barrack and U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, who are visiting Lebanon, have emphasized their support for the country. He said that the main objective today is to implement the commitments the government signed on November 27 and pledged to the international community to fulfill.
Makhzoumi explained that Lebanon had been dragged into a war as part of a broader regional power struggle, which had devastated the country on more than one occasion, with the Lebanese people paying the price every time. He questioned why Lebanon could not secure an end to all attacks and remain entirely removed from the ongoing regional alignments.
He stressed the importance of returning to the principle of neutrality, avoiding political and regional alignments, and working to build the state and protect its borders and people through its security, military, and constitutional institutions, in accordance with the presidential inaugural address and the ministerial statement. He added that, under such circumstances, the international community would be ready to help Lebanon.
Makhzoumi expressed hope that the Lebanese Army’s plan to place all weapons under state control would be ready by the end of the current month and subsequently implemented. He also urged Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, to focus on his own country’s affairs and refrain from interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs.