Beirut: After being elected as Lebanon's new president and taking the constitutional oath, President Joseph Aoun pledged to work on rebuilding what was destroyed by the Israeli entity in its recent aggression against Lebanon, stating that the country has entered a new phase in its history.
In a speech during his swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, Aoun emphasized the need to change political practices in Lebanon and to refrain from interfering in the judiciary.
He affirmed his commitment to rebuilding what the Israeli occupation destroyed in the south, Beirut's suburbs, the Beqaa Valley, and across the country.
He explained that his presidential term would mark an era of cooperation with the new government to pass a law ensuring judicial independence, challenge any legislation that violates the constitution, and swiftly initiate parliamentary consultations to select a prime minister who would be "a partner, not an adversary."
Aoun stressed the importance of securing and stabilizing Lebanon's southern borders and demarcating its eastern and northern borders, as well as implementing international resolutions to prevent Israeli aggressions.
In this context, he expressed his intention to invest in the military to secure Lebanon's borders, particularly in the south and in the delimitation of the eastern and northern borders and prevent Israeli aggressions against Lebanon.
He also affirmed his commitment to strengthening security forces as a crucial means of ensuring law and order, and promised to develop a comprehensive defense strategy involving diplomatic, economic, and military aspects to enable Lebanon to expel Israeli occupation and deter further attacks.
The newly elected Lebanese president called for initiating serious dialogue with Syria to address all outstanding relations and issues, particularly the files of missing persons and displaced individuals.
Earlier Thursday, the Lebanese Parliament elected Army Commander Joseph Aoun as the country's new president in its second session, ending a presidential vacuum that had lasted over two years.
