In his final speech delivered on Army Day, approximately three months before the end of his presidential term, President Michel Aoun emphasized that "just as he committed to conducting parliamentary elections, he will do everything in his power to create favorable conditions for the election of a new president who will continue the arduous journey of reform that he began." He hinted at the failure to form a new government, stating: "I hope that the fate of the presidential elections will not be similar to that of the formation of the new government, which has not yet provided the necessary elements and standards to be an effective government capable of fulfilling its responsibilities now and in the future."
Aoun addressed the graduating officers, stating: "You have today received a sword that symbolizes much in the military journey; strive to turn it into a word of integrity in the face of corruption and diligent work to uphold the truth without discrimination. This year's celebration deepens the meanings due to the size of the challenges facing the military institution as a result of the difficult economic conditions that burden all its members as well as the entire Lebanese people."
He added: "For the first time in an officer graduation ceremony, the number of male officers equals that of female officers, marking the opening I initiated for women upon assuming the leadership of the army to be included among the officers in the military institution. Alongside the security challenges you are tasked with facing, the scale of the life and economic difficulties faced by the military personnel, like their families and a wide segment of their compatriots, is expanding. Be assured that I spare no effort to alleviate the burden of these difficulties on you within the available capacities and resources."
Aoun continued: "Lebanon endures the weight of rapidly changing regional and international developments, and we seek to keep our country away from all tensions and influences amid the charged atmosphere of events. Thus, we are keen on maintaining calm and stability along our southern borders. We affirm our commitment to our rights in our territorial waters and natural resources, which are rights that cannot be compromised under any circumstances. The ongoing indirect negotiations for the delineation of the southern maritime borders aim primarily to safeguard Lebanon's rights and to reach, through cooperation with the American mediator, outcomes that protect our rights and resources and hopefully lead to an opportunity for economic revival in the country once the negotiations conclude."
