Beirut: Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, during the latter's visit to Lebanon Wednesday.

According to Qatar News Agency, both sides discussed developments in the Palestinian territories, the situation in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, as well as regional and international developments. In a joint statement issued after the meeting, both leaders affirmed their commitment to the Lebanese state's monopoly on arms and stressed the importance of enhancing coordination between Lebanese and Palestinian official authorities to ensure stability within and around the Palestinian camps in Lebanon.

The statement underscored the need to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region, one that enables the Palestinian people to establish their independent state in accordance with relevant international legitimacy resolutions, and that secures the legitimate rights of all countries and peoples in the region.

The Lebanese and Palestinian Presidents condemned the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in heavy human losses and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. They called on the international community to take immediate and serious action to stop the aggression and ensure full protection for Palestinian civilians.

Aoun and Abbas stressed the need to activate the role of the United Nations and its institutions in providing protection to the Palestinian people, ensuring respect for international law, and implementing international legitimacy resolutions.