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Thursday, February 13, 2025

Macron Visits Lebanon to Meet New Leaders

Beirut (TDI): France’s President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beirut on Friday for a visit that will see him meet his counterpart and offer support as Lebanon’s leaders seek to open a new chapter in their country’s turbulent history.

After more than two years of a political vacuum at the top, Joseph Aoun was elected president on January 9 and picked Nawaf Salam as prime minister-designate.

They now face the challenging task of leading the country after a devastating Israel-Hezbollah war and years of economic crisis.

Macron is also likely to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Beirut as a January 26 deadline to fully implement an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire agreement approaches, according to AFP.

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The French presidency stated that Macron’s trip aims to “support” Aoun and Salam in strengthening Lebanon’s sovereignty, promoting its development and, preserving its unity.

France has special relations with Lebanon, which it administered for two decades after World War One, and the two countries have maintained close ties even since Lebanon’s independence in 1943.

Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have offered “their full support” to the formation of a “strong government” in Lebanon, the French presidency stated on Thursday after a call between the two leaders.

The new government must “unite Lebanon’s diverse population, uphold the ceasefire agreement with Israel, and implement reforms essential the country’s prosperity, stability and sovereignty”.

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Macron will also meet Lebanon’s powerful speaker of parliament Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally.

He is also scheduled to meet UNIFIL chief Aroldo Lazaro and the heads of a committee comprising Israeli, Lebanese, French and US delegates, alongside a UNIFIL representative, tasked with monitoring ceasefire violations.

Ceasefire Deal

Under the November 27 ceasefire deal, the Lebanese army has 60 days to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south of Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws.

At the same time, Hezbollah is required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, around thirty kilometers from the border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in south Lebanon.

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