Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed his country’s adherence to sovereignty that “requires Israel’s withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territories,” and “requires the extension of the authority of the Lebanese state, by its own forces, over its entire territory, and confining weapons to its sole hand,” stressing that “no one speaks on behalf of Lebanon, and no one negotiates on its behalf,” and “its security and stability should not be the price for settlements made in its absence.”
3 challenges
Salam said in a speech he delivered during the general debate of the eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly: “We have assumed responsibility and our country faces three crucial challenges: to regain the confidence of its people after the financial collapse and the Beirut port explosion and the tragedies and wounds they left behind, and to restore its national decision, so that there is no authority above the authority of the state, no weapons outside its armed forces, and no decision for war and peace outside its constitutional institutions.”
He stressed the need “to regain all of its land from the Israeli occupation, and to extend its sovereignty over its entire national territory by its own forces in implementation of the Taif Agreement, and in sincere respect for international resolutions related to Lebanon, perhaps the most important of which is Resolution 1701, which remains to this day a basic reference regulating the relationship between Lebanon and Israel.” Salam summarized the equation for Lebanon’s advancement by saying: “Confidence is built, decisions are restored, and land is liberated.”
No one is negotiating for Lebanon
Salam stressed before the United Nations General Assembly that “no one speaks on behalf of Lebanon, and no one negotiates on its behalf, except the Lebanese state through its constitutional institutions,” adding: “It is true that Lebanon is affected by what is happening in its surroundings, but that does not mean that we accept that it will return to being an arena for the conflicts of others, or a negotiating card in their hands.” He stressed that “Lebanon’s future cannot be decided on its behalf, and its security and stability should not be the price for settlements concluded in its absence.”
The Lebanese Prime Minister touched on his country’s position on the recent war between Hezbollah and Israel, saying: “Our position on the war was clear from the beginning. We want to stop it, and we want to establish a ceasefire, and Israel’s withdrawal from all Lebanese territory up to our recognized international borders, in accordance with the Armistice Agreement of 1949, as reaffirmed by Resolution 1701,” adding: “We want the release of all our prisoners, a safe and dignified return of our people to their villages and towns, and the return of... Reconstructing what was destroyed by war.”
Upholding sovereignty
Salam said: “The sovereignty that we adhere to is indivisible, as it requires Israel’s withdrawal from all Lebanese territories. It also requires extending the authority of the Lebanese state, by its own forces, over all of its territory, and confining weapons to its sole hand. On these two principles, and on the principles of reciprocity and interim, the tripartite framework that was reached in the negotiations is based,” referring to the tripartite “framework agreement” between Lebanon and Israel under American sponsorship.
Salam said: “The success of any agreement is not measured by declared intentions, but rather by the implementation of commitments. Therefore, what is required today is to complete the translation of this framework into practical steps, within a clear timetable and a verification mechanism that guarantees the implementation of all its provisions.”
Salam stressed “the necessity of working to avoid the vacuum that the withdrawal of UNIFIL forces might create if it took place without agreeing on a new international force to replace them, ensure the continuation of monitoring, reporting and communication tasks, and complement its role with the requirements of implementing the tripartite framework.”
He said: “Reclaiming the land does not only mean the withdrawal of the occupation forces from it, but it also means the return of its people to it, and the return of life to their villages and towns.”
Reform and reconstruction
Thanking the United Nations agencies and international partners for their humanitarian contributions, he called for “continuing to provide the necessary funding to meet the basic needs of those affected, especially the displaced, in parallel with the requirements of early recovery, reconstruction and development.”
He stressed that “reconstructing the south is not just a process of rebuilding stone; “It is rebuilding people’s lives, restoring their livelihoods, and establishing their right to live in safety and dignity on their land.”
Salam said, “The Lebanon that stands before you today does not shirk its responsibilities, nor does it ask others to do what it must do.” He explained: “We bear our responsibility for reform and extending state authority over our entire territory. But we have the right to ask the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in ensuring respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty and implementing the resolutions of international legitimacy.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi presented his country's vision as an “effective economic power” and “a bridge for dialogue and cooperation between the peoples of the region and the world.”
Al-Zaidi was delivering a speech at the high-level meetings of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, renewing Iraq’s commitment to the United Nations Charter and its principles. He said: “We present before you Iraq’s vision for its future, its region, and the world at this critical stage,” adding that this vision “stems from our national will to restore the prestige of the law, strengthen state institutions, and consolidate citizens’ confidence in them.”
Al-Zaidi set his government’s priorities, including that “the state monopolize the decision of peace and war,” and that “weapons and tools of force remain in the hands of its constitutional institutions.” He stressed that “our executive measures are based on the law and the national interest in building a state of institutions, protecting sovereignty, and establishing stability.”
Regarding the transformation in international relations, he said, “With the end of the international coalition’s mission in Iraq, we will move the relationship with our strategic partners from military cooperation to economic and development cooperation, in a way that serves our common interests,” considering that these steps “add to the Iraqis’ victory over terrorism double the determination and momentum to complete building our security and military capabilities to protect our land, our people, and our sovereignty.” He called on international friends to “control borders, address gaps, and remain vigilant to prevent the formation of a feeding environment for extremism.”
“Battle against corruption”
On the internal level, the Iraqi Prime Minister said: “Our government is fighting the battle of combating corruption and protecting public money, and we are proceeding on the path of reforms with sustainable fundamental solutions to raise the efficiency of performance,” recalling that “our goal is to build a strong state and a diversified and modern economy, in line with global technological and digital transformations.” He added, "Our vision of providing a safe environment for national and foreign investment is based on the great resources and investment opportunities that Iraq possesses, as well as its exceptional geographical location that links the Iraqi economy to the world."
طريقة التنمية
Al-Zaidi described the “Development Road” project as “Iraq’s comprehensive vision for integration, integration and regional stability, and an important gateway and strategic corridor for trade, investment, industry and energy linking the East to the West.” He added: “We want the development road project to be available for partnership with all our neighbors and friends, because we believe that economic interests create prosperity.”
Al-Zaidi addressed world leaders to “invest with Iraq, as it has the resources, market, location, and will to build a new economy.” He added, "The security of countries and the sustainability of peace is a shared responsibility, and true stability is not built by wars, but by common interests that make cooperation more useful than conflict."
The Iraqi Prime Minister reiterated his country’s position “in support of dialogue and diplomacy in order to defuse crises.” He said: “Today we find the weak being oppressed because the law of the strong rules, not the force of law, and that is why the Palestinian issue remains present in any talk about stability in the region.” He asserted that “there will be no room for security in the Middle East without a just solution to the Palestinian issue, and proving the right of the Palestinian people to their land, self-determination, and the establishment of their sovereign state.” He stressed that the security we seek “is not limited to stopping conflicts, but extends beyond it to confronting climate change and the effects of desertification and water scarcity,” calling for “joint management of water resources in accordance with the principles of cooperation and international law.”
