Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun  Meets Australia's Armed Forces Commander in Canberra

21 May 2018

Canberra - Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, and the accompanying delegation arrived in Australia on a two-day official visit to meet with military and civilian officials to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the two armies.

Aoun was received at the airport by a number of senior officers in the Australian armed forces, and the Australian military attaché in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, Colonel Christopher Buxton.

A ceremony was held at the Australian Ministry of Defense in which military honors were made to welcome General Aoun, in the presence of the Australian Armed Forces Commander Marshal Mark Binskin.

General Aoun held a meeting with Marshal Binskin, with talks touching on military affairs and cooperation prospects between the two armies.

The Army Chief then visited the War Museum and the Memorial of the Martyrs of Australia, where he was welcomed by Protocol Commissioner Sarah Haichman. Aoun inspected the military equipment used by the Australian Army in its battles during World Wars I and II.

After the Australian anthem performed by students from various Australian states, Aoun and Binskin placed a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and then a minute of silence was observed for the souls of the martyrs.

In the evening, Marshall Banskin hosted a dinner banquet in honor of General Aoun and the accompanying delegation, in the presence of the Lebanese Ambassador and a number of senior Australian military leaders.