Lebanon - Q&A - Excerpts from the daily press briefing (28.01.19)
Q : Is it true that, as certain press articles are indicating, you asked Israel not to carry out any military strikes in Lebanon before the formation of a government in this country? According to these same sources, Mr. Le Drain warned that otherwise President Macron would cancel his visit to Lebanon. Furthermore, can you confirm that Mr. Le Drain also indicated that France had recently stopped lending its support to the Lebanese Army?
A : These are speculations which have no basis.
France is closely watching the situation in Lebanon and would like a government to be formed as swiftly as possible now. It believes that there is a need to ensure that the sovereignty, security and stability of Lebanon prevail in a difficult regional context. It would like the commitments undertaken by the Lebanese authorities and the international partners at the CEDRE and Rome II conferences to be upheld and implemented.
France itself is upholding its commitments and is continuing to lend its support to the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces. It also calls for strict compliance with the UN Security Council resolutions and pays tribute to UNIFIL’s commitment to ensuring that calm is maintained along the Blue Line, the border between Lebanon and Israel.