Lebanon's Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi has said the decision to end Hezbollah's military wing is a sovereign Lebanese matter, stressing that the state must be the sole authority over security and foreign policy.
Speaking at a public event, Raggi said there is no longer any place for "weapons outside the legitimacy of the state" or for decisions made outside official institutions.
"The decision to end Hezbollah's military arm is a sovereign Lebanese decision," he said.
Raggi added that the move preceded a framework agreement reached in Washington with Israel and reinforced the principle that decisions on war, peace and foreign policy rest exclusively with the Lebanese state.
He also said the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces across the country remains linked to Israel's complete withdrawal from all remaining Lebanese territory it occupies.
The comments follow a June 26 framework agreement brokered in Washington that called for an end to hostilities between Israel and Lebanon and the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah.
