Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned of the consequences of dragging Lebanon into any new absurd adventure in the service of foreign interests and throwing it into confrontations whose consequences it does not have the luxury to bear. After his meeting with the President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, at Baabda Palace, he affirmed that the Lebanese, especially our people in the south, have paid heavy prices in their lives, livelihoods, and homes, and that they have the right to live in safety, and to build their future away from the cycle of wars, displacement, and destruction. The Prime Minister stressed that protecting Lebanon is a national responsibility that requires giving precedence to its best interest over any other account, and a commitment that the decision of war and peace be exclusively in the hands of the state and its constitutional institutions. He said: We will not accept that a fate be imposed on the Lebanese people that they did not choose, or that their homeland once again become an arena for the conflicts of others. It is our duty to preserve its sovereignty, protect its people, and make every effort to spare it a new war. In this context, Salam denounced any Lebanese elements or groups interfering in the internal affairs of our Arab brothers, especially carrying out any form of military activity that threatens the security and safety of their country, the latest of which was announced by the brotherly government of Yemen. He stressed Lebanon's keenness to respect the sovereignty and security of our brothers, and to prevent harm to them. We also look forward to strengthening our relations with them and developing them on firm foundations of mutual trust.