Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has welcomed a French-Italian initiative to form an international coalition to manage the post-United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) period, calling it a sign of strong international support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability, according to a statement from his office, Al Jazeera reports.

The president considered this initiative “a sincere expression of the international commitment to supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability, and a genuine appreciation of the role played by the Lebanese Armed Forces in maintaining security and extending state authority over all its territory, particularly in the southern border regions”, the statement read.