French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu announced on Friday that France “has decided to send urgent aid to the Lebanese Army, including medical material and medicine.”
Speaking after a meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail, Lecornu stressed the importance of close cooperation and coordination between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL, the activation of the international force’s tasks and the need to maintain calm along the Blue Line.
Lecornu also called on “all parties in the South to exercise rationality and wisdom, and not push things towards escalation and deterioration.”
Moreover, he stressed the urgent need to find a solution to the issue of hostages in Gaza and to seek a definitive solution to the Palestinian issue.
The meeting was attended by French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro, the Minister’s accompanying delegation and the diplomatic advisor to Prime Minister Mikati, Ambassador Boutros Assaker.
The French official and his accompanying delegation also met with the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, in Ain el-Tineh, in the presence of the French Ambassador in Lebanon.
The central focus of this meeting was the prevailing situation in Lebanon and the broader region, with a special emphasis on the rising tensions in Gaza and the Lebanese border villages.
The meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri lasted approximately one hour, with Minister Lecornu choosing not to make any formal statements or remarks immediately following the discussions.
Afterwards, Lecornu conveyed a message of support directly to caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati through the X platform. He stated, “We offer and will continue to offer our support to the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL, as the stability of Lebanon is essential for the country and the region.”
