Listen to the article
The French delegation, composed of representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, left the region after two important visits to Lebanon and Israel, linked to the implementation of Resolution 1701. For its part, the French embassy in Beirut is currently mobilized in anticipation of the possible visits to Lebanon of senior French officials, notably President Emmanuel Macron and Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.
According to French sources, Macron’s visit, which is still unconfirmed, could take place during the holidays. Its objective is to inspect French forces operating within the framework of UNIFIL. However, the security situation in southern Lebanon could potentially hamper this visit. As for that of Catherine Colonna, it could be part of a regional tour whose date has not yet been set.
According to the aforementioned sources, the visit of the French delegation to Beirut and Tel Aviv aims to discuss concrete mechanisms to implement Resolution 1701 as well as the operational measures that should be taken. This initiative comes after the presidential envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, alerted Lebanese officials and leaders about the risks incurred by Lebanon in the event of failure to effectively implement this resolution.
Furthermore, the Paris initiative is coordinated, at all levels, with other members of the Group of Five, which is closely monitoring the situation in Lebanon, according to these same sources.
Despite some differences with the United States regarding Resolution 1701 and the presidential question, coordination between the members of the Quintet continues. This is all the more important as France is the only country that communicates with all Lebanese parties, in particular Hezbollah, despite the tensions generated by the war in Gaza, relations with Iran, and regional developments.
