Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berr and new French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro discussed the current situation in Lebanon and recent developments.
The meeting took place on Monday at the official residence of the Parliament’s presidency in Ain el-Tineh, Beirut.
The encounter was a customary protocol visit in light of Magro’s recent appointment as the French Ambassador to Lebanon.
During their discussion, the two officials delved into the latest events in the country and explored the bilateral relations between Lebanon and France.
Furthermore, Speaker Berri also met with former minister Ghazi Aridi. The two reviewed the overall situation and the latest political developments in the nation.
Last Thursday, the United Nations Security Council voted to extend a long-running peacekeeping mission in Lebanon for another year.
This came after a compromise was reached between France and the US on language about the freedom of movement of UN troops.
The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrols Lebanon’s southern border with Israel. The mandate for the operation is renewed annually, and its current authorization was due to expire on Thursday.
The French-drafted text was adopted with 13 votes in favor and abstentions by Russia and China.
France kept language in the resolution that spells out that peacekeepers should coordinate with the Lebanese government.
But in a compromise with the US and the UAE, France added back in text from last year’s council resolution – which it had deleted – that demands all parties allow “announced and unannounced patrols” by U.N. troops.
Last June, French President Emmanuel Macron named his former foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian as his personal envoy for Lebanon, in a new bid to end the country’s political crisis, the presidency said on Wednesday.
