French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Lebanon shortly before 7 AM on Friday for an official visit, where he is scheduled to meet with the new Lebanese leaders and military officials.
According to the Elysée Palace press service, the French head of state aims to underscore France's unwavering commitment to Lebanon, its sovereignty and unity. Macron will congratulate President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam.
As per the press service, Macron's visit will focus on advancing the "full implementation of the ceasefire" and France's commitment to UNIFIL. Accompanying Macron is Jean-Yves Le Drian, his personal representative in Lebanon.
At 11 AM, the French president arrived in Gemmayze for a meeting with volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross. In this neighborhood devastated by the explosion at the Beirut port in 2020, he had been welcomed as a savior by a population angered at its leaders at the time, whom they held responsible for the negligence that led to the tragedy.
Three weeks later, Macron returned to extract a commitment from the political class to form a reformist government, a promise that was never fulfilled.
Arrival at Beirut Airport and Meeting with Mikati
Upon his arrival, Macron was welcomed by Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who stated after their meeting that President Macron pledged to support the new government. Macron, in turn, noted that Lebanon had entered "a new phase."
When asked about France's commitment to Lebanon, Mikati explained, "President Macron has committed to further discussions on this matter, echoing a similar meeting held in Paris last October to bolster the Army and support displaced persons. Macron stands ready to back Lebanon through a credit fund cooperation with the World Bank for the South's reconstruction, encouraging local contributions."
Macron met with the Chief of Staff of the UN peacekeeping force (UNIFIL), General Jean-Jacques Fatinet, in the morning, as well as French and American generals overseeing the ceasefire monitoring mechanism to monitor the ceasefire between the Israeli Army and Hezbollah.
"Progress is being made, the momentum is positive," he told journalists after the meeting.
According to the agreement, the Israeli Army is supposed to withdraw from the border areas, with the Lebanese Army deploying in those areas by the deadline of January 26.
The French president later visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the museum sector and laid a wreath of flowers there.
He will also have a working lunch with President Aoun at the Baabda Palace. Macron will conclude his official meetings with Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam.
Macron is also expected to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the Lebanese capital, as a January 26 deadline to fully implement an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal approaches.
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