Beirut: Industry Minister Joe Issa Khoury described the government's performance since its formation as very good, despite the weight of the challenges that have accumulated over decades. He affirmed that the government is working amidst ongoing internal and regional crises, and that most of what the government committed to in its ministerial statement is starting to see the light, while acknowledging that some files could have been completed at a faster pace had it not been for the existing obstacles.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, in an interview with "Voice of All Lebanon" Radio Channel on Sunday, the Industry Minister emphasized excellent relations with the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and all cabinet ministers. He explained that the Lebanese Forces were the most clear on the issue of weapons, especially in terms of demanding a set timeline for handing over the weapons of illegal armed groups to the Lebanese army. He pointed out that building the state requires a clear commitment to the exclusivity of weapons and serious pressure on these groups to follow the state option, as happened after the end of the Lebanese war.
Issa Khoury stressed that "Hezbollah's clinging to its weapons and its refusal to hand them over to the state is hindering the process of building the state," adding that "the continuation of weapons outside the state's framework is practically leading Lebanon to a confederal system, not to a central state or even a federation, and the existence of two armies and independent foreign relations, noting that private funding for any party means the disintegration of the state, and this is the path that must be avoided because the goal is to establish one state with one army and one authority."