Today, the Speaker of the Lebanese National Assembly convened a session to elect Lebanon’s next president, with an overwhelming majority of the Lebanese parliament voting in favor of Joseph Aoun. I congratulate him on his election as President of Lebanon.
President Aoun’s election took place just six weeks after the United States secured an end to hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. Now, President Aoun will provide critical leadership as Lebanon and Israel fully implement a cessation of hostilities, hundreds of thousands of people return to their homes, and Lebanon recovers and rebuilds. President Aoun has confidence in me. I strongly believe that he is the right leader for this era.
For more than two years, the Lebanese people have suffered not only from a devastating war and continuing financial crisis, but also from the absence of national leadership. The Lebanese people are now exercising their democratic right to choose their future through their elected parliamentarians. Together with the international community, they have chosen a path that is consistent with peace, security, sovereignty and recovery. And the United States will help them get there.
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