PARIS (Reuters) – Emmanuel Macron met on Friday in Paris with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the commander-in-chief of the Lebanese army, Joseph Aoun, to discuss ways to ensure Lebanon’s stability in a context of strong tensions in the Middle East.
In a statement, the Elysée said Emmanuel Macron “reaffirmed France’s commitment to doing everything in its power to prevent the increase in violence between Lebanon and Israel.”
The president “also expressed his determination to continue providing the Lebanese Armed Forces with the support they need.”
In a separate statement, Najib Mikati thanked the French president for his efforts “aimed at ending Israeli aggression against Lebanon and supporting the army with equipment and expertise.”
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Clashes on the Lebanese-Israeli border between Lebanese Hezbollah, aligned with Iran, and the Israeli army have increased in recent months on the sidelines of the war in the Gaza Strip, triggered by the attack by Palestinian Hamas in Israel on October 7.
The two leaders also discussed the political situation in the country, Emmanuel Macron calling on the authorities to “finally find a way out of the institutional crisis which is weakening Lebanon”.
(Written by Kate Entringer, with Timour Azhari in Beirut)
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