Pakistan and Lebanon discussed regional security, defence cooperation, and prospects for strengthening bilateral military ties during talks between the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir and Lebanese Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, General Rodolphe Haykal, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the two army chiefs met at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, and "the visiting dignitary was presented guard of honour by a smartly turned-out Tri Services contingent upon his arrival at GHQ".
"During the meeting, both dignitaries exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, evolving regional security environment, defence cooperation and prospects for enhancing bilateral military relations," the statement added.
The statement said that the discussions focused on strengthening professional interactions, training cooperation and institutional linkages between the armed forces of the two countries.
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"CDF Munir reaffirmed the importance Pakistan attaches to its longstanding and cordial relations with Lebanon and underscored Pakistan Army’s commitment to expanding defence collaboration with the Lebanese Armed Forces," said ISPR.
It added that General Rodolphe Haykal appreciated the professionalism and operational excellence of the Pakistan Armed Forces and acknowledged their contributions to regional peace, stability and international peacekeeping efforts.
"The visit reflected the shared commitment of both armed forces to fostering closer military-to-military cooperation," the statement concluded.
War on Lebanon
Israel invaded Lebanon in March after Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets and drones across the border. Lebanon and Israel said on June 3 that they had agreed to a ceasefire following negotiations in Washington.
Israel struck the outskirts of Beirut on Sunday for the first time since the US announced a truce plan for Lebanon last week, and an Iranian lawmaker threatened to retaliate, putting talks to end the wider war into new jeopardy.
Iran has long said any peace deal with the United States would depend on a ceasefire also holding in Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March in pursuit of Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters who fired across the border in solidarity with Tehran.
Trump has leaned on Israel to scale back its campaign in Lebanon to allow room for a peace deal with Iran, including rebuking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with obscenities in a phone call last week. After the call, Netanyahu called off air strikes on Beirut and agreed to the latest truce plan with the Lebanese government.
But Israel has never fully halted its campaign in Lebanon, which has killed thousands of people and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes. Hezbollah, which was not party to the truce and would be dismantled under its terms, has also continued attacks and said it would not give up its weapons unless Israel halts fighting and withdraws.
The wider war has been stalemated since the United States and Israel paused their attacks on Iran in early April, with Tehran blocking most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the main transit route for Middle East oil. Washington has imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports.
Though the sides have both said they are close to a preliminary agreement that would reopen the strait, they have repeatedly traded strikes, with escalations in recent days that have included attacks on nearby Arab states hosting US bases.
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