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AMMAN — Jordan has welcomed the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel that was signed on Friday, under US mediation.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi hailed the agreement as an “important step towards strengthening Lebanon’s security, stability, and sovereignty over its entire territory.”
Safadi’s remarks came during a phone call on Saturday with his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Raggi, during which he stressed the importance of building on the agreement to achieve a complete Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
According to a Foreign Ministry statement, Safadi reaffirmed Jordan’s “absolute support” for Lebanon’s security, stability, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety of its citizens.
He also expressed Jordan’s backing for Lebanon’s efforts to assert state authority across its territory, reactivate national institutions, and restrict possession of arms to the state.
He also commended the United States for its role in facilitating the agreement.
Lebanon, Israel and the United States on Friday signed a trilateral framework agreement aimed at paving the way for a peace deal between the two long-time Middle East adversaries.
The agreement -- which officials said includes a pilot effort in which Lebanese soldiers will take control of two areas occupied by Israel, as well as a process aimed at disarming Hizbollah -- is the result of five rounds of talks in the US capital, AFP reported.
The deal "begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the signing ceremony, while noting, "It's the beginning of the beginning. There's a lot of work ahead."
Lebanon's ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, said that the accord "is a first step on the road to restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing a permanent and final cessation of hostilities [and] enabling our people to go back to their land,” according to AFP.
Hizbollah leader Naim Qassem condemned the US-Israel-Lebanon framework agreement on Saturday, saying it is a major mistake by the government and that his group deems it null and void.
The agreement -- which includes a pilot effort in which Lebanese soldiers take control of two areas currently occupied by Israel, as well as a process aimed at disarming Hizbollah -- was signed in Washington on Friday after five rounds of talks.
"The framework agreement in Washington is humiliating, shameful, and a surrender of sovereignty. This agreement is null and void, and the provisions of the Iranian-American memorandum of understanding must be implemented," Qassem said in a statement, referring to the deal to end the broader Middle East war, which includes a ceasefire in Lebanon.
