Lebanese Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam has urged the United States to help push a stalled framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel into its implementation phase, during talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Monday.

Salam met Rubio at the State Department, joined by Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi and Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad. US officials present included State Department adviser Dan Holler and Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa.

According to a statement from Salam’s office, he stressed the need to turn the principles of reciprocity and phased implementation into practical steps and results on the ground, leading to “the restoration of Lebanon’s full sovereignty.”

His office said the process must also deliver a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and place weapons exclusively in the hands of the state across the country. Salam asked for a clear timetable for the commitments in the framework and a credible mechanism to verify compliance, so that non implementation cannot be used as an excuse to derail the deal.

He added that the framework should go beyond security arrangements to include support for relief, recovery and reconstruction, and the rebuilding of infrastructure and essential services.

Lebanon and Israel concluded the framework in June under US auspices. It provides for a gradual Israeli withdrawal and the disarmament of Hezbollah, but progress has stalled, and the two sides have not held formal talks since August.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider regional war in March by attacking Israel, which responded with heavy airstrikes and a ground invasion. Lebanese authorities say more than 4,300 people have been killed.

There was no immediate public account of Rubio’s response.

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