Beirut: President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, renewed his thanks to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for "all the efforts he is making to support Lebanon in achieving its demands to end the occupation and Israeli attacks on its territory." President Aoun called on Pope Leo to "continue supporting these demands, foremost among them obliging Israel to implement the provisions of the framework formula, immediately halt its attacks on villages, infrastructure and civilians in the south, and withdraw from the areas it occupies."
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, President Aoun made the remarks during his meeting this morning with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, followed by meetings with Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Vatican Foreign Minister Archbishop Richard Gallagher, at the outset of his visit to the Vatican.
President Aoun arrived at 9:30 a.m. at St. Damasus Square in the Vatican, where he was received by the Head of Protocol of the Vatican, Monsignor Javier Fern¡ndez Gonz¡lez. He was then escorted, accompanied by the Papal Swiss Guard, to the Pope's office, where he held a 30-minute private meeting with His Holiness.
The meeting was followed by talks between President Aoun, the Vatican Secretary of State, and the Vatican Foreign Minister, during which they discussed the latest developments in Lebanon, as well as the repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanese villages, infrastructure, and civilians.