NNA – In an interview with Al Arabiyarsquo;s ldquo;Out of the Box,rdquo; Industry Minister Joe Issa El Khoury said U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagusrsquo;s recent visit to Lebanon marked a turning point, describing her stance as firm and unequivocal.nbsp;
El Khoury stressed the urgency of addressing illegal arms, declaring that both Palestinian factions and Hezbollah no longer have a legitimate role for heavy weaponry in Lebanon.
ldquo;Such weapons must be under the exclusive authority of the Lebanese Army,rdquo; he stated, noting that Israel continues to justify its occupation of Lebanese territory through Hezbollahrsquo;s arms.
El Khoury revealed that Lebanese Forces ministers urged President Joseph Aoun to convene the Supreme Defense Council and set a six-month timeline for disarmament. He further warned that without concrete steps, Lebanon will remain cut off from reconstruction aid, investment, and stability. The Minister finally emphasized the governmentrsquo;s duty to enforce exclusive state control over arms and implement overdue reforms.
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