Jean-Yves Le Drian, the former French Foreign Minister and President Emmanuel Macron’s Special Envoy to Lebanon, is expected in Cairo on Saturday for a meeting on Sunday with Egyptian officials to resume the Quintet mission, which consists of assisting Lebanon in electing a president of the republic.
As reported by Asharq Al-Awsat, Le Drian will hold meetings with Egyptian officials overseeing the Lebanese file, marking the initial step in reviving the activities of the Quintet committee, which experienced a hiatus due to the war in Gaza.
Le Drian’s efforts follow a Quintet meeting of ambassadors from the Five-nation group (United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt), scheduled at the residence of the Saudi ambassador in Yarzeh. Additionally, there will be a meeting with the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, and bilateral contacts with influential parties.
The Quintet committee recently held a meeting at the level of political directors of foreign ministries in the five countries. Currently, there is no plan for a ministerial-level meeting, contrary to information circulating in the Lebanese press recently, according to the pan-Arab newspaper. However, the upcoming meeting is expected to take place in Cairo or Riyadh. Following the meeting, Le Drian will travel to Beirut to convey their findings in the presidential file.
According to inside sources, the committee’s goal is not to “impose the name of a candidate” on Lebanese MPs, as this task “is not within its jurisdiction.” Instead, they aim to assist and encourage the Lebanese to elect a candidate with the “required qualifications,” including a vision to navigate Lebanon out of its multiple crises, the ability to communicate and dialogue with all parties, and integrity.
