Raad says agreed with Aoun on sustained dialogue

Hezbollah is keen on cooperation to achieve the interest of all Lebanese, MP Mohammad Raad said Wednesday after he met with President Joseph Aoun in Baabda.

He added that meetings and talks will continue between Hezbollah and the president to achieve Lebanon's interests. "We are keen on cooperation to achieve the goals of all Lebanese people -- ending the occupation, releasing prisoners, strengthening stability, and the return of our people to their homes and villages," Raad said.

The meeting comes amid recent tensions between Hezbollah and the President over his commitment to disarm the group.

Raad called for launching the reconstruction of war-hit regions, and said Hezbollah will support the state, when necessary, as it assumes the responsibility of protecting sovereignty.

In a press conference from the Baabda palace, Raad rejected "all forms of interference", calling for unity to end the occupation and restore sovereignty.

"We must all act responsibly in facing the risks of occupation and foreign mandates," he said, likely referring to American pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah.

Last month, two Pro-Hezbollah journalists were summoned over anti-Aoun remarks, as tensions between the group's supporters and the president grew after Aoun described Hezbollah as a "non-state armed group" and used the word "cleaning" to refer to the group's disarmament south of the Litani -- a technical term meaning an area has become completely free of weapons or threats.

Hezbollah prefers to be called "Resistance", a moniker that gives the group legitimacy after it fought to liberate Israeli-occupied southern Lebanon until 2000, when Israeli troops withdrew. It differentiates them from militias, which in Lebanon carries a negative meaning and is heavily associated with the brutalities of a sectarian civil war.