French President Emmanuel Macron met today with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Paris and assured him that France is ready "to do everything in its power to prevent the escalation of violence between Lebanon and Israel,", reported France Press, quoted by BTA, referring to a statement from the Elysée Palace.
Lebanese Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Joseph Aoun was also present at the meeting in Paris. Macron "expressed his determination to continue giving the Lebanese Armed Forces the assistance they need,", the statement said.
The French president "continues to work for the stability of Lebanon so that it is protected from the risks associated with the escalation of tensions in the Middle East. In this regard, he recalled France's commitment to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and stressed the responsibility of all to ensure that they can fully fulfill their duties, the Elysée Palace also said.
"France will take action to achieve this goal together with all those who are ready to make additional commitments, in particular with their European partners, following the conclusions of the extraordinary meeting of the European Council" held in Brussels yesterday and the day before , the statement said.
Also, Macron, who also spoke by phone with the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Nabih Berri, again called for "political leaders to finally find a way out of the institutional crisis that is weakening Lebanon".
Since the end of the term of President Michel Aoun (who is not related to Joseph Aoun - note AFP) on October 31, 2022, Lebanese MPs have not been able to agree on his successor. The country's parliament is divided between the camp of the pro-Iranian Islamist movement "Hezbollah" and his opponents, AFP recalls.