Lebanon - Q&A from the press briefing (28 January 2021)

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Q : Amnesty International is calling on France to suspend its sale of weapons to Lebanon, arguing that tear gas grenades, rubber bullets and grenade launchers manufactured in France are being used in the country to crackdown on protests. What is your response to this request?

A : Applications for export licenses for classified equipment that can be used for law enforcement are subject to a high level of vigilance and are examined on a case-by-case basis by the French authorities, in accordance with their international commitments. This is notably the case in Lebanon which is experiencing a serious economic, social and political crisis, and whose stability is crucial for the entire region. France regularly reaffirms its attachment to respect for the right of the Lebanese people to demonstrate peacefully.

France, like its main partners, also lends support unrelated to law enforcement to the Lebanese Armed Forces, as well as to the Internal Security Forces, in order to help them preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and stability, as well as disassociate the country from regional crises.

France is mobilized to help resolve the crisis in Lebanon and stands alongside the Lebanese people, as it has always done.