Project Watan: The Upcoming Aoun-Trump Meeting Represents an Exceptional Opportunity for Lebanon

Project Watan: The Upcoming Aoun-Trump Meeting Represents an Exceptional Opportunity for Lebanon

Project Watan’s Executive Board held its regular weekly meeting, chaired by MP Neemat Frem and attended by the members. The Board reviewed the latest political developments on both the Lebanese and regional fronts and discussed the delicate challenges facing Lebanon at this pivotal stage. At the conclusion of the meeting, the following statement was issued:

• The Executive Board underscores the importance of the anticipated meeting between Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun and U.S. President Donald Trump, describing it as an exceptional opportunity for Lebanon amid the delicate circumstances facing both the country and the region. It stresses the need to approach this opportunity with a spirit of national responsibility, so as to maximize international support, secure the liberation of all Lebanese territory, put an end to attacks and violations, strengthen the sovereignty of the state, and extend its authority over the entirety of its territory.

• In light of the rapidly evolving military developments across the region and the possibility of a widening confrontation involving Iran and the Arab Gulf region, Project Watan warns of the dangers of an expansion of the conflict in Lebanon at a time when the country needs, more than ever, to reduce tensions on the ground in order to avoid incurring further heavy costs and mounting losses.

• In light of the Ankara meetings and the positions and statements that emerged from them regarding Lebanon, the participants expressed concern that any military escalation originating from Lebanese territory could have consequences extending beyond Israeli retaliation, potentially drawing in new regional interventions, further complicating the Lebanese landscape and making the attainment of the desired political solutions even more difficult.

• Project Watan also addressed the severe economic crisis weighing on Lebanon, particularly its serious repercussions on the tourism sector. In this context, the participants call on the relevant authorities to recognize that the cost of political and security instability to the tourism sector and related businesses is not temporary. Rather, its effects are both detrimental and long-lasting, impacting every person in Lebanon, regardless of their affiliations or the region in which they live.