Aoun Tells Macron He's Committed to Seeking 'Civil State'

President Michel Aoun on Tuesday announced that he is committed to seeking the establishment of a “civil state” in Lebanon.

“I hope our pains will become a motivation pushing us to turn into a civil state, in which competency would be the standard and the law would be the guarantee for equal rights,” said Aoun in a speech at a Baabda lunch banquet thrown in the honor of visiting French President Emmanuel Macron.

“To achieve this goal, I have committed myself to calling for a national dialogue so that we reach a formula that would be acceptable to everyone,” the president added.

Referring to Lebanon’s centenary, which the country was marking on Tuesday, Aoun said “September 1, 2020 should be a starting point for a new Lebanon, where the citizen would be the king and not the leaders of sects,” urging the establishment of “a modern state that meets the aspirations of the people and the ambitions of our youths who are the future of the country.”

Macron for his part stressed that his country will stand by Lebanon in its current crisis and that it is willing to “offer any assistance to help achieve the needed rise as part of a clear plan based on carrying out reforms in the key sectors.”

He also expressed relief over “President Aoun’s remarks on the importance of the rise of a civil state in Lebanon.”