Beirut, Lebanon - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun revealed in an interview he wants to reach a security agreement with Israel once it withdraws from his country's southern regions.

The exclusive interview, conducted with the AFP, also saw Aoun confirm that he is determined to actively dismantle and disarm Hezbollah without resorting to violent confrontation.

Speaking ahead of his departure to France on Wednesday, Aoun said Lebanon wants a new force, European or otherwise, to prevent a security vacuum after UN peacekeepers leave south Lebanon.

He called on the US, European Union, and other Arab countries to support Lebanon's military as it deploys across the south.

Environment and Climate Sumatran elephants on the brink as wildfires ravage Indonesia

In Paris, Aoun will attend a meeting hosted by President Emmanuel Macron and attended by King Abdullah II of Jordan to build international support for Lebanese troops as they deploy across the country.

"What matters is that there is no vacuum," Aoun told AFP on Tuesday. He added that any new force for Lebanon's south, part of which is occupied by Israel, would be "temporary until the [Lebanese] army can deploy."

"Whatever the nature of this force, that poses no problem for me: European, non-European, American, another United Nations force, Asian, or even a mix of European, Arab, and Asian forces," Aoun said.

Aoun also said he wants a security agreement with Israel "primarily to end the state of hostility and the deployment of the army on the border. This could be a prelude to a later peace agreement."

"We have no choice but negotiations, because the alternative is war."

Aoun reiterated Lebanon was determined to disarm the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, saying the decision was "neither negotiable nor open to discussion."

"The objective is not a confrontation," he said. "We are determined to resolve this issue peacefully. This is not about building a state at the cost of a bloody conflict… or a new civil war."