Aoun: Specter of war distant but not totally eliminated

President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday hoped the Lebanese will enter the new year with a more stable and hopeful atmosphere.

Reassuring that "the current atmosphere reflects positivity on all levels," Aoun reiterated that "the specter of war has become distant" but added "that does not mean it has been totally eliminated."

"Efforts are still underway with the various friendly and brotherly countries in order to fully rule out war," Aoun added.

The president also noted that domestically, "the security situation is considered to be among the best in the world ... despite the negative impact of the significant numbers of displaced Syrians and Palestinian refugees."