Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, met with Joseph Aoun, the recently elected president of Lebanon, on Friday and promised to help the little country recover from the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah conflict and a historic economic catastrophe. Macron’s visit to Lebanon, his first in over four years, comes after Israel and Hezbollah signed a 60-day truce agreement on Nov. 27 to put an end to their conflict. A French commander is on the committee overseeing the truce, and France assisted in mediating the agreement.
An impasse that had left the presidency unoccupied for more than two years was broken by Lebanon’s parliament shortly after the ceasefire deal. As a result, Nawaf Salam, a well-known diplomat and jurist, was named permanent prime minister and is currently establishing a new cabinet.
France’s financial support to Lebanon
The political breakthrough, according to Lebanon’s government, is expected to increase international trust and pave the door for the flow of funding required for the reconstruction following the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which left over 4,000 people dead and over 16,000 injured in Lebanon. $1 billion was pledged for military and humanitarian assistance during an international summit for Lebanon held in Paris in October.
During a joint news conference with Aoun, Macron, who has previously criticized Lebanon’s leadership, stated that France will support Lebanon and expressed his hope that the country’s new government will usher in a new era, that of a change in political behavior, the return of the state to the benefit of all. Aoun requested that Macron attest to the restoration of the Lebanese people’s faith in their nation and government.
The world’s confidence in Lebanon should also be restored, he stated. Aoun declared that the real Lebanon has come back. Macron then went to the presidential palace to meet with Aoun, Mikati, and parliament speaker Nabih Berri after touring portions of Beirut where he spoke to citizens and took photographs with them. According to Macron, France has contributed $85 million of the $102 million it promised to support Lebanon, and two-thirds of the foreign commitments made during the October Paris summit have been fulfilled.
Promise for a better future
The prime minister-designate and Aoun have pledged to end Lebanon’s economic crisis and establish state control over Hezbollah-held areas of the nation. Hezbollah, a terrorist organization supported by Iran that has controlled Lebanese politics for many years, has been weakened by the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Initially favoring alternative candidates for prime minister and president, Hezbollah ultimately voted for Aoun and did not nominate Salam for the position. Mikati stated, “President Macron promised to keep support for the new government,” following their airport encounter.
He also said that Macron would meet with Lebanese officials after meeting with French and American officers on the ceasefire monitoring committee early Friday. Mikati responded that this was not discussed when asked if France could ensure that Israel would remove its forces from Lebanon by the conclusion of the 60-day truce, but the French side is checking in with US officials on the situation.
Macron stated that although there has been some progress in putting the ceasefire agreement into effect, more work is still required. “We need a total withdrawal of Israeli forces and that the Lebanese army gets a total monopoly on weapons,” he stated. He further added that the ceasefire marked the end of an unbearable spiral of violence. This is a precious diplomatic success that has saved lives and that must be consolidated.
Purpose of Macron’s visit
France has always supported Lebanon in its difficult times throughout its past. In this way, it is also a good chance for France to make its foreign policy stronger. Lebanon has to face a much more difficult situation right now. The challenges from security towards Hezbollah and Israel are not in good condition, so Lebanon is now requiring urgent reform and international resources. Macron just wants to make a good impression on his public as well as the Lebanese. In the past, he has criticized the Lebanese leaders for their failure to impose meaningful efforts for the betterment of the crisis.
Now, it’s time for Lebanon to work properly with the aid provided by France. In this way, both countries can build a better relationship on an international level. France is a state that is also in political crisis nowadays, but it makes sure that neighboring states are the superpowers of any nation in any difficult condition. Macron’s international conference will support Lebanon in rebuilding its infrastructure.
