French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, on Friday for a vacation meant to demonstrate Paris to the country’s new leaders as they face the task of ending years of economic turmoil worsened by a recent war.
Macron will meet his counterpart Joseph Aoun, who elected president on January 9 after more than two years without holding the most sensible position.
The stopover is intended to “help” Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam “consolidate Lebanon’s sovereignty, ensure its prosperity and unity,” the French presidency said before Macron’s arrival.
France maintains ties with Lebanon after administering the country for two decades after World War I.
Macron is also expected to meet with U. N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Beirut ahead of a Jan. 26 deadline to fully put into effect a ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah’s Lebanese defense forces, which are subsidized by Iran and Israel.
The deal, brokered by France and the US in November, seeks to end months of conflict that have seen Israeli troops move into southern Lebanon.
Under the agreement, the Lebanese army has 60 days to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon while the Israeli army withdraws, which it will have to do until the end of January.
Hezbollah, in turn, will have to withdraw its forces to positions north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and withdraw any military infrastructure it still possesses in southern Lebanon.
Since the deal was reached, France, the United States and Saudi Arabia have helped facilitate the election of Lebanon’s new president and prime minister, amid a political impasse.
Analysts say the new elections were made imaginable in component through the fact that Hezbollah, a primary political force in the country, has been weakened through the conflict.
To watch this video, please allow JavaScript and upgrade to an internet browser that supports HTML5 videos.
Ahead of his visit, Macron held talks with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Following Thursday’s call, from the French presidency, the two leaders gave “their full support” to the formation of a “strong government” in Lebanon.
The new government will have to “unite the diversity of the Lebanese people, ensure respect for the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and carry out the reforms necessary for the prosperity, stability and sovereignty of the country,” the Array presidency said.
Saudi-Lebanese relations have been clouded in recent years amid a series of diplomatic incidents, but France has been seeking to regain Riyadh’s support for Lebanon in recent months.
Among other things, French officials have said they are optimistic Saudi Arabia will provide financing and equipment to beef up the Lebanese army amid its new deployment.
Saudi Arabia has long been concerned about Hezbollah’s strong presence in Lebanon, viewing the defense force as a proxy for its regional rival, Iran.
tj/rmt (AFP, Reuters)