Lebanese President Michel Aoun is scheduled to meet with the presidents of France, Russia, Iran and Egypt in New York this month when he attends the 74th session of UN General Assembly, a source informed about the trip told Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday.
The source said Aoun will fly to New York on September 22, heading an official delegation to attend the UN sessions, which should open by a speech delivered by US President Donald Trump.
Discussions between Aoun and world leaders will address the latest developments related to Syrian refugees, Israel’s occupation of Lebanese territory in the South and the role of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Lebanese army in preventing Israel from violating Security Council resolution 1701, the source explained.
He added that the list of leaders that Aoun is expected to meet is not finalized yet.
He is scheduled to hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Egyptian President Abdul Fatah al-Sisi.
The source said that in his address, Aoun will mainly focus on the international shortcomings in resolving the burden on Syrian refugees on Lebanon.
He plans to tackle the dangers of the latest Israeli violations of resolution 1701, specifically the drone attack in southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, on August 25.
“Aoun should stress Lebanon’s right to defend its borders and underscore that the attack constituted a violation of the rules of engagement set by resolution 1701 and which Lebanon has been respecting since it was issued in 2006,” the source said.
During his meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Gueterres, Aoun is expected to defend Lebanon’s sovereignty and right to defend itself against any Israeli aggression.
He will also tackle economic and monetary concerns by calling on world leaders to contribute in the reconstruction of Lebanon’s infrastructure.
