Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16), co-chair of the U.S.-Lebanon Friendship Caucus and member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement on the newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
“Today is a great day for the people of Lebanon. After 22 months without a constitutionally elected president, the Lebanese Parliament elected the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, General Joseph Aoun to be President of Lebanon. I strongly believe that under President Aoun, the country will chart a new path forward as a sovereign, independent, and prosperous nation. I am thankful that Members of the Lebanese Parliament fulfilled their constitutional duty in electing a president who will provide a better future for the people of their country.
“I am hopeful that the election of Joseph Aoun will embolden the people of Lebanon to move forward in this tremendous time of opportunity, move past the cancer that was the influence of Hezbollah, Iran’s terror proxy, and finally form a strong government that will fight public corruption, bring restoration and economic prosperity to the country, and represent the interests of the Lebanese people in the international community. A strong, independent, and sovereign Lebanon, that is free of corruption, will help provide stability in the Middle East and I look forward to the success of President Joseph Aoun. I will continue to work with incoming President Trump, his national security team, and my colleagues in Congress to support a strong, productive, and sustainable U.S-Lebanon relationship.”
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