President Aoun receives parliamentary delegation Khalaf urges extending UNIFIL mandate
President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, on Monday received MP Melhem Khalaf, who headed a parliamentary delegation calling for the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Following the meeting, MP Khalaf stressed "the need to maintain UNIFIL's presence to prevent any vacuum in the south, given its role in verifying the Israeli withdrawal, preserving security and stability, and supporting the Lebanese Army in extending state sovereignty."
MP Khalaf indicated that "the petition submitted for this purpose carries the signatures of 86 MPs, while 20 lawmakers from various political affiliations and parliamentary blocs visited the President of the Republic, who underscored the importance of the issue and briefed the delegation on his international efforts."
Khalaf noted that "if an extension of UNIFIL’s mandate is not possible, an international force must remain in the south in any possible form, while continuing efforts with UN Security Council member states and countries contributing to the international force."