Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi says he spoke with the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Albudaiwi, conveying his “appreciation for the support expressed in the joint ministerial statement” for the Lebanese-Israeli negotiations mediated by the US, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement posted on X, Raggi says the ministry “highly appreciated” the references to Lebanon in the GCC-US statement.

“Particularly its welcome of the ongoing US-mediated negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, its emphasis on preserving the negotiation process and keeping it separate from any other track, and its affirmation that Lebanon cannot achieve full sovereignty as long as non-state armed groups retain military capabilities,” the statement reads.

“The ministry also welcomes its call for the complete disarmament of all such groups and for the Lebanese state alone to have the exclusive authority to use force,” it adds.