Visit to Lebanon by Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs (13-14 october 2022)

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mme Catherine Colonna, will visit Beirut on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 October 2022.

The Minister will hold meetings with Mr Michel Aoun, the Lebanese President, in the presence of her counterpart, Mr Abdallah Bou Habib. She will also meet Mr Najib Mikati, Prime Minister of Lebanon, and Mr Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Parliament.

As the constitutional deadline approaches for the election of a new Lebanese president, the Minister will reiterate France’s commitment to the proper functioning of Lebanon’s institutions.

Mme Colonna will emphasize the fact that it is also urgent for Lebanon to have a fully functioning government, to get Lebanon out of the very serious crisis it has faced for months and implement the economic and financial reforms provided for in the agreement signed in April with the IMF, which are essential in the very worrying situation the country is experiencing.

The visit will also provide an opportunity to pay tribute to the historic agreement on the delimitation of the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel this week, which France worked towards with its international partners.

To conclude the visit, the Minister will meet young Red Cross volunteers working every day to help the Lebanese people.