International Conference on supporting the LAF

At the invitation of France, with the support of Italy and the office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Lebanon, an international virtual conference was held in support of the LAF. The conference included the participation of the French Minister of Defense, Ms. Florence Parly, the Italian Minister of Defense Lorenzo Guerrini, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Caretaker Government, the Minister of National Defense, and the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Ms. Zeina Akar, the Special Coordinator of the United Nations Secretary-General in Lebanon, Ms. Joanna Wronecka, the Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun, a representative of the European Union, the defense ministers of: the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and representatives of: Bahrain, Denmark, the United States of America, China, Sweden, Germany, Turkey, Russia, Finland, Canada, Egypt and the Netherlands, in addition to the commanders of the armies of: Jordan and Kuwait, and the commander of the UNIFIL.

Initially, Parly affirmed her country's continuous support for Lebanon's army and people, considering that the LAF is the backbone and pillar of security and stability. She stressed the need to maintain the cohesion of the army in order to remain able to complete its tasks, calling for unifying efforts to meet the urgent needs of the LAF, such as humanitarian and logistical support, in order to pass this delicate stage that Lebanon is going through.

Followed by Guerrini, who considered that Lebanon is going through an unprecedented crisis, pointing out the urgency to respond to the needs of the LAF by providing it with the basic requirements of support.

Akar also stressed that today's conference is an additional act of solidarity by the international community to support the military institution, and said: "This institution is under the same burden that befell the Lebanese people. The LAF needs actual support to continue performing its tasks, and soldiers also need support so that they can to provide for their families who are suffering as a result of the deteriorating living conditions."

She added: "It is not permissible to abandon or to destabilize the LAF as a result of the accumulation of crises, the most prominent of which is the economic and social crisis. We look forward to achieving our common goal, which is to support the LAF, the guarantee for preserving Lebanon's stability and the security of the Lebanese."

As for Wronecka, she considered that the economic and political crisis affects Lebanon at all levels, including the military, pointing to the importance of the LAF’s cohesion and activating its work in maintaining security and stability in Lebanon and implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701. She urged the participating countries to meet the LAF’s emergency and necessary needs, stressing that the office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Lebanon will follow up on the results of the conference through periodic meetings starting next September. She concluded, "The United Nations stand by the LAF to support it at this critical stage."

Then General Aoun delivered a speech in which he thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for organizing this conference, and thanked the participants, for their confidence in the military institution and their keenness on its survival and continuity, because it is the backbone of Lebanon and the mainstay of its security and social stability.

After presenting the many tasks entrusted to the LAF and the challenges it faces at various levels, in addition to its role after the explosion of the Beirut Port, he said: "The LAF enjoys local and international support and trust, so the need for its support increases today for it to remain coherent and able to carry out its tasks."

The LAF Commander commended the performance of the soldiers who are facing these difficult conditions with determination, discipline and belief in the sanctity of the mission, and added: "Today, Lebanon is facing an unprecedented economic crisis. In the absence of opportunities for solutions on the short term, more than half of the Lebanese people are below the poverty line."

General Aoun considered that the economic crisis that Lebanon is going through, which is the worst in its history, has greatly and negatively affected the LAF, especially on its operational missions and the morale of its soldiers, despite all the efforts made by the leadership and with minimal tasks to maintain security and stability, pointing out that the deterioration of the value of the Lebanese pound against the dollar, the value of military salaries decreased by 90%, and the same percentage applies to nutrition, medical care, operational tasks, and spare parts for vehicles, noting that the LAF has adopted and continues to adopt a remarkable austerity policy.

General Aoun warned that the continued deterioration of the economic and financial situation in Lebanon will inevitably lead to the collapse of institutions, including the military, and therefore the entire country will be exposed to security risks and many threats, most notably terrorism, which will find in Lebanon a platform for its schemes and a starting point abroad.

General Aoun stressed the necessity of supporting the soldier as an individual to pass this delicate stage, in addition to supporting the institution as a whole for it to remain able to carry out its tasks.

He concluded by stressing that the LAF is the only and last institution that is still cohesive and is the guarantee for security and stability not only in Lebanon but in the whole region, and any harm to it will lead to the collapse of the Lebanese entity and the spread of chaos, saying: “We believe that we will pass this difficult and delicate stage thanks to the determination and will of our soldiers and with the support of the Lebanese people and friendly countries.”

During the conference, the participants unanimously agreed that this support for the LAF reflects the international community’s interest in Lebanon’s unity, sovereignty and stability, and stressed the need to support the army because it is the mainstay of stability in Lebanon, stressing the need for coordination among them in order to meet the necessary needs to confront this crisis, which will affect the military institution directly. The participants agreed to continue the meetings, and to assign their military attachés in Lebanon to coordinate with the LAF command to follow up the executive frameworks for the aid to be provided, which will include humanitarian, medical and logistical needs.