Israel and Lebanon Sign Trilateral Framework Agreement in Washington

WASHINGTON, June 26. /TASS/. A trilateral framework agreement on the settlement between Israel and Lebanon has been signed in Washington in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"Today is a good day in that we are happy to announce a framework agreement between the sovereign Government of Lebanon and of course the Government of Israel, with the mediation and support of the United States of America, that begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security. And that’s what these two nations deserve," Rubio stated. "As I said today, as I told all the parties here today, it’s the beginning of the beginning. There is a lot of work ahead. We don’t in any way underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead."

"As I said, today is the first step. This first step sometimes is the hardest one, but it’s an important one and the one we’ve taken together," he stressed.

The agreement was inked by the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington. The ceremony was held at the US Department of State.

The framework agreement "builds a realistic path out of endless conflict," Rubio said in a statement.

"This agreement establishes a clear and structured process to restore Lebanon's sovereignty, disarm Hizballah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and enable Israel to return to its borders once that threat to its citizens is removed. It also creates a trilateral Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L), facilitated by the United States, allowing the two sides to implement this Framework. For Lebanon, this Framework provides a genuine pathway out of a long crisis. For Israel, it creates a verifiable path to removing the persistent threat on its northern border," the statement says.

On June 17, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding envisaging an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. On June 21, the US and Iran held talks in Switzerland’s Burgenstock, with Qatar and Pakistan acting as mediators, to discuss the implementation of the memorandum of understanding. The negotiating teams agreed to set up a group on settling the conflicts, including in Lebanon. According to a joint statement by Qatar and Pakistan, Lebanon will be represented in this body.