Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has said he is open to France and other European countries keeping troops in southern Lebanon after the departure of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), whose mission is due to end later this year, Al Jazeera reports.

In comments shared by the Lebanese presidency on X, Aoun says Lebanon “welcomes the willingness of France and other European countries to keep their forces in the south after the beginning of the withdrawal of Unifil, in order to help the Lebanese army maintain security and stability, provided that the framework under which these forces will operate is defined in consultation with the concerned countries and the United Nations”.