Rubio meets Lebanon's Aoun, backs implementation of Israel framework deal

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington to discuss the implementation of a trilateral framework agreement between the United States, Lebanon and Israel. The State Department said Rubio reaffirmed U.S. support for the agreement's successful rollout and backed the Lebanese government's work on peace, economic recovery and the country's future. According to the statement, Rubio commended Lebanon's efforts to reassert state sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle the group's infrastructure. The Lebanese Presidency said Aoun arrived at the State Department to begin official engagements in Washington. Aoun is scheduled to attend a Lebanon-U.S. summit at the White House on July 21, where he will also meet U.S. officials. The talks are expected to address Israel's withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory, the extension of state authority across all regions and the consolidation of the ceasefire nationwide, particularly in the south.