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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington on Sunday, praising the nation’s recent progress toward a peace deal.
The visit marks the first time a Lebanese head of state has travelled to the US capital since 2009.
Aoun also plans to meet with President Donald Trump on Tuesday to further discuss regional stability.
The State Department reported that Rubio commended Lebanon’s aggressive efforts to reclaim its sovereignty, dismantle Hezbollah’s terrorist network, and secure lasting peace.
The United States pledged full support for the Trilateral Framework, which aims to bring economic recovery and a better future to the Lebanese people.
In April, the United States sponsored negotiations to permanently end the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The resulting June 26 framework agreement requires the Israeli military to withdraw from southern Lebanon as the Lebanese army deploys into two distinct pilot zones.
However, this agreement relies entirely on disarming the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which vehemently rejects both the deal and the underlying negotiations.
Last week in Rome, negotiators finalised the specific structure and guidelines for implementing the pilot zones.
Aoun’s office stated he intends to use his Washington trip to solidify the ceasefire and ensure Israel withdraws from occupied Lebanese territories.
Meanwhile, the broader conflict continues; the United States launched airstrikes against Iran on Sunday to penalise the nation for recent American military casualties, and Israel maintains a security zone in southern Lebanon following its ground invasion earlier this year.
