Le Drian attends parliament session before meeting Berri, Mikati
France's special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian was in Lebanon Thursday, a day after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect.
Before meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the former foreign minister attended part of a parliament session that extended the tenures of Army chief Joseph Aoun and other military chiefs for one year.
Lawmakers had already extended Aoun's term last year, as he had been set to retire on January 10, 2024.
A statement from speaker Berri's office said he and Le Drian on Thursday "discussed the general situation, political developments and the presidential issue".
A French diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters that Le Drian came to Lebanon to "relaunch the issue of the presidency and the need for reforms".
Le Drian also met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail.
France had underlined Wednesday its role in brokering an agreement that ended fighting between Israel and Hezbollah alongside the U.S.
"It is true that the United States have a privileged relationship with Israel. But with Lebanon, it’s France that has very old ties, very close ties," France’s foreign minister said. "It would not have been possible to envisage a ceasefire in Lebanon without France being involved on the front line."
France will be involved in monitoring the ceasefire, with 700 French soldiers deployed as part of the 10,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, that has been patrolling the border area between Lebanon and Israel for nearly 50 years.
The minister said France will also work to strengthen Lebanese troops that will deploy in the south of the country as part of the ceasefire, although he didn’t specify what that might include.
Source: Naharnet
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