Macron in Beirut… breaking the contract and facilitating the start of the covenant

Now that Parliament has elected General Joseph Aoun as President of the Republic and Judge Nawaf Salam has been assigned to form the government, Macron will visit Lebanon today in line with what Paris considers a historic transformation, as a president for Lebanon was elected after a gap that lasted more than two years. On the French President’s agenda is a morning meeting with President Najib Mikati at the VIP headquarters at Beirut International Airport. He will meet the President of the Republic, the Speakers of Parliament, Nabih Berri, and the Prime Minister-designate. He will also visit the south to inspect his country’s battalion operating within the international emergency forces, UNIFIL. He will also meet with the heads of the ceasefire agreement monitoring group, the American and French generals, to review how to implement the agreement and work to accelerate the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the army.

Macron lands in Beirut at the head of a small official delegation that includes the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense, Jean-Noel Barrot, Sébastien Le Cornu and Le Drian, and a number of French representatives. According to French sources, the visit carries a set of political and strategic messages related to France’s great interest in the necessity of restoring its role, which has declined greatly from the year 2007 until the year 2020, and working to strengthen its political and economic influence in this country, especially since it has been strongly active in the past two years.

There is no doubt that Macron’s France played a prominent role, like the countries concerned with Lebanon, in order to achieve the presidential entitlement, and looks forward to forming a government capable of facing the challenges and implementing the reforms required of Lebanon, especially since all French promises to Lebanon related to financial and economic support are similar to European and Arab promises and the return of investments. remain subject to fulfillment of obligations. The French Foreign Ministry indicated that it was necessary to engage in the sustainable revival of Lebanon, as well as the reconstruction of what was destroyed due to the war between Israel and Hezbollah and the terrifying destruction that resulted. It passes through the formation of a strong government, supportive of the President of the Republic, capable of uniting the Lebanese, responding to their aspirations and needs, and making the necessary reforms for Lebanon’s economic recovery, stability, security, and sovereignty.

Beyond that, the Elysee, according to French sources, shows great interest in the need to strengthen the army’s capabilities in view of the role it plays in southern Lebanon after the ceasefire agreement, which stipulated the strengthening of its deployment in the south, in addition to being concerned with implementing International Resolution 1701 in cooperation and coordination with International forces.

For Paris, it is very important to facilitate the work of the new government and not obstruct it or hinder its launch, especially as it is heading to hold a conference on Lebanon that President Macron will announce during his visit today. According to the same sources, Paris plays a fundamental role in resolving the existing obstacles facing the formation of the government, which are With the position of the Shiite duo and their boycott of non-binding parliamentary consultations, it has become certain that the participation of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement in the government will be conditional on obtaining guarantees and certain portfolios. Macron had contacted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and, according to the Elysee statement, they touched on the importance of supporting the consultations conducted by the Lebanese authorities to form a government capable of bringing together the diversity of the Lebanese people. They affirmed their full support for the formation of a strong government in Lebanon.