French President Emmanuel Macron is reportedly planning to hold a meeting dedicated to Lebanon, on the margins of the Francophone summit hosted by France on October 4 and 5.
According to French diplomatic sources quoted by Chahir Idriss for Houna Loubnan, the aim of this extraordinary meeting would be to urge the countries taking part in the summit to help Lebanon solve its own problems, notably an unprecedented economic crisis, a destructive war into which Hezbollah has dragged it on its southern border, and a presidential deadlock that is paralyzing its constitutional institutions.
Despite its own internal crises, France remains concerned by the Lebanese issue, and is endeavoring through its ongoing contacts with Saudi Arabia and Iran, notably through the special presidential envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, to convince Riyadh to resume a leading role in the country.
According to the same source, Mr. Le Drian’s meeting with the Saudi royal court advisor in charge of the Lebanese dossier, Nizar Alaoula, on Thursday, did not produce any new ideas for resolving the presidential deadlock, but it remains important for building momentum, especially if an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza is reached.
France, the sources highlighted, remains committed to the implementation of Resolution 1701 following the achievement of a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave and in southern Lebanon.
