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The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, is set to begin a visit to Lebanon next Tuesday as part of his first regional tour. He will arrive in Beirut following his visit to Israel, where he engaged in discussions with officials regarding the developments in the Gaza war and southern Lebanon.
According to French sources, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will emphasize the importance of Lebanese officials working with Hezbollah to prevent the extension of the war in Lebanon. Furthermore, he will stress the crucial implementation of Resolution 1701, aiming at placing the region south of the Litani River under the exclusive authority of the Lebanese state, represented solely by the Army, in collaboration with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Furthermore, as per the same sources, the Minister of Foreign Affairs made several proposals related to the implementation of Resolution 1701 and the settlement of the border dispute between Lebanon and Israel. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that any initiative in Lebanon hinges on a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, considering the pivotal role played by Hezbollah in this context.
Additionally, the Minister of Foreign Affairs also stressed the importance of maintaining France’s support for the Lebanese Army and its ongoing commitment to UNIFIL, which is supposed to be shielded from the conflict and not subject to reprisals by any party. The Minister will also remind Lebanese officials of the urgent need to expedite the election of a president of the Republic, stressing that France is pursuing its efforts in this regard, both bilaterally and within the Group of Five.
According to the sources, the portfolios held by the Minister of Foreign Affairs focus more on the regional situation than the presidential election, a responsibility delegated to French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is expected to visit Lebanon later this month. Ongoing endeavors aim to coordinate a meeting between the ambassadors of the Group of Five and Lebanese officials, especially the Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, and the Chief of the Army, General Joseph Aoun. However, due to the French ambassador’s attention being drawn to the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ visit and the departure of the Saudi ambassador to Riyadh, the scheduling of these meetings has been postponed.
Furthermore, the ambassadors’ meeting with the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, did not yield any commitment regarding the convening of an open session to elect a president. Ambassadors will refrain from participating in what some refer to as a dialogue or consultation among Lebanese parties preceding or accompanying the sessions, and they will not put forward any names. They prefer to entrust all these considerations to Lebanese parties, who are now well-versed in the acceptable criteria for the next president. Consequently, nominations of candidates are anticipated based on this understanding.
