French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said during a visit to Lebanon that Iran should stop being a "destabilizing power", citing its nuclear program and support for "terrorist" groups that threaten regional and European countries.
During a press conference in Beirut, where the government has committed to disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, Barrot also called on "groups supported by Iran" to exert "the utmost restraint" in the event of any military escalation involving the Islamic republic.
Ahead of his arrival in Beirut on Friday, he said that Lebanon’s army must be given the means to disarm the Hezbollah terror group.
His visit comes as Paris prepares to host an international conference on March 5 in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Internal Security Forces, with U.S. participation.
According to a diplomatic source who spoke to AFP, he is discussing support for the Lebanese Army to enable it to carry out its duties, particularly the disarmament of Hezbollah. Barrot’s meetings in Beirut include senior officials, including Army Commander General Haykal.
"France's vision for Lebanon is that of a strong, sovereign state holding a monopoly on arms," he said. "The Lebanese government has shouldered its responsibilities by launching and carrying through to completion the first phase of this disarmament plan," Barrot said. "The second phase must now begin, and the plan associated with this phase is to be presented in the coming days, and in any case before the conference is held," he continued.
The second phase of the plan concerns the area between the Litani and the Awali rivers, around forty kilometers south of Beirut. Hezbollah has thus far refused to hand over its weapons north of the Litani.
In parallel, President Joseph Aoun met U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa at the Presidential Palace on Friday to review preparations for the Paris conference and discuss the outcome of Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal’s recent visit to the United States, including his meetings with senior U.S. officials.
Paris Conference to Strengthen Lebanon’s Sovereignty
The diplomatic source told AFP the conference aims to “provide the Lebanese Army with the means necessary to ensure the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and to move towards concentrating weapons in the hands of the Lebanese state,” under an official plan that calls for “disarming armed groups,” in reference to Hezbollah.
“The goal is for the Lebanese Army to be able to express its needs to implement the tasks assigned to it, and for the international community to then provide targeted but crucial support, in addition to political and symbolic support,” he added.
The source said that “the regional context makes the issue of disarming Hezbollah extremely sensitive, amid rising tensions between various parties and the weakening of the Iranian regime,” expressing his belief that “there is a favorable opportunity to make progress in this regard.”
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