BEIRUT, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday reaffirmed his country's support for Lebanon's efforts to strengthen state authority and the Lebanese Armed Forces, pledging increased military assistance to help the army assume full control of the country's territory.
"Athens attaches great importance to the Lebanese Armed Forces as the central pillar of Lebanon's sovereignty and security," Mitsotakis said during talks with visiting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese presidency.
Mitsotakis said Greece's Defense Ministry and armed forces "stand alongside Lebanon and are ready to provide increasing support" to strengthen the Lebanese Army, particularly to help the Lebanese Army establish sole control over the country's territory, especially in the south.
He also said Greece supported efforts to prevent a security vacuum after the UN Interim Force in Lebanon mission ends at the end of this year, with the Lebanese Army playing a central role, backed by European and international assistance.
For his part, Aoun called for continued Greek support for Lebanon in international forums, stressing that Lebanon's two longstanding crises -- the presence of Israeli forces on Lebanese territory and the existence of weapons outside state authority -- must be addressed together. ■
