PARIS, Nov 6 (Reuters) – France will send several dozen armored vehicles to the Lebanese army so that it can carry out its patrol missions in the country, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Monday.
Speaking to Lebanese newspaper L’Orient-Le Jour after a visit to the country, the minister said it was vital to strengthen the Lebanese army so that it could coordinate with the peacekeeping force of the United Nations amid growing tensions between Hezbollah and Israel in southern Lebanon.
“We will continue our partnership in terms of equipment, in particular for the transport of troops under armor which is key to maintaining patrols: several dozen front armored vehicles (VAB) will be given to the Lebanese armed forces soon”, indicates Sébastien Lecornu .
“Our support for the Lebanese army is for the long term, whatever the difficulties of the moment,” he adds.
Some 700 French soldiers are part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), created in 1978 following violence on the Israeli-Lebanese border. (Reporting by John Irish, Blandine Hénault for the French version, editing by Kate Entringer)
©2023 Thomson Reuters, all rights reserved. Reuters content is the intellectual property of Thomson Reuters or its third party content providers. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. “Reuters” and the Reuters Logo are trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies.