French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday on a visit aimed at demonstrating Paris’ support for the country’s new leadership as it seeks to end years of economic turmoil caused by the recent war. Is facing the task of.
Macron will meet his counterpart Joseph Aoun, who was elected president on January 9 after more than two years during which the top post was vacant.
The visit aims to “help” Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salaam to strengthen Lebanon’s sovereignty, ensure its prosperity and maintain its unity, the French president said ahead of Macron’s arrival.
France has special relations with Lebanon, having ruled the country for two decades after World War I.
hope for peace
Macron is also scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Beirut as a January 26 deadline approaches to fully implement a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon’s Iran-backed militia Hezbollah and Israel.
The agreement, brokered by France and the United States in November, seeks to end months of conflict that has seen Israeli troops move into southern Lebanon.
Under the agreement, the Lebanese army has 60 days to deploy with UN peacekeepers in the south of Lebanon as Israeli forces withdraw, which it must do by the end of January.
In return, Hezbollah would have to withdraw its forces to positions north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 mi) from the border, and dismantle any military infrastructure it still had in south Lebanon.
Since reaching the agreement, France, the US and Saudi Arabia have helped facilitate the election of a new Lebanese president and prime minister amid political impasse.
Analysts say new elections were made possible partly by the fact that Hezbollah, a major political force in the country, has been weakened by the conflict.
Possible support from Saudi Arabia
Ahead of his visit, Macron also spoke to Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
After the call on Thursday, the French president said the two leaders had given “their full support” to forming a “strong government” in Lebanon.
The president said the new government should “bring together the diverse people of Lebanon, ensure that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is respected and carry out reforms necessary for the country’s prosperity, stability and sovereignty.”
Saudi-Lebanese relations have been clouded by a crisis amid a series of diplomatic incidents in recent years, but France has been trying to regain Riyadh’s support for Lebanon in recent months.
Among other things, French officials have said they are optimistic that Saudi Arabia will provide financing and equipment to strengthen the Lebanese army amid its new deployment.
Saudi Arabia has long been troubled by Hezbollah’s strong presence in Lebanon, viewing the militia as a proxy for its regional rival Iran.
tj/rmt (AFP, Reuters)
