President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun affirmed to a delegation from the Maronite General Council headed by engineer Michel Matar that "building nations is a shared responsibility and does not fall on the shoulders of a single person or party, each within his position and post, and the interest of the nation must remain a priority and above any personal interest so that the country may be fixed." He considered that "Lebanon's youth and its new generation are the primary lever wherever they are, and the lessons we have learned through history and the numerous crises Lebanon has gone through, especially in the recent period from 2019 until today, are that the resilience of the Lebanese and their faith in their country were the basis of the ability to overcome difficulties and hardships, and for Lebanon to remain steadfast." He said: "We have begun with this government to address the issue of corruption that was rampant for years, and we are waging a war against some who reject the logic of the state, while we want the state. The government has taken measures that are not sufficient within the economic and financial reforms, but it achieved growth and we expected its increase this year, except that the war dashed this hope. Despite all of this, Lebanon remains steadfast and its institutions functioning." He continued: "We took the decision to negotiate to avoid the woes and tragedies caused by the war. It is true that it is not easy and fast and there are obstacles and difficulties, but it remains much better than war. We meet on the same objectives: liberating the south and deploying the army up to the border, retrieving the prisoners, the return of the people, and reconstruction, and this cannot be achieved through war as it has become clear, so there is consequently no choice but negotiations."