Lebanon Prez vows to restore land, maritime sovereignty

Beirut, May 25 (IANS) Lebanese President Michel Aoun has promised to restore the country's sovereignty over its land and maritime territories."On the liberation anniversary, we promise to continue our efforts to regain sovereignty over all our land and maritime territories," Aoun said on Monday on the occasion of the Resistance and Liberation Day.The Resistance and Liberation Day, which falls on May 25 annually, marks the end of the Israeli military occupation of Lebanon's southern region in 2000, Xinhua news agency reported.In his remarks, Aoun also emphasised the need to "free the state from corruption" to restore prosperity to Lebanon. The Lebanese government recently signed a document that will formally lay claim to an additional 1,430 square km on top of the Exclusive Economic Zone in disputed waters in the Mediterranean.Indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel to demarcate the maritime borders kicked off on October 14, 2020, but they were later suspended.
--IANS ksk/