Mikati Meets French Delegation to Discuss South ‘Ideas’

In a recent meeting on Thursday, Lebanon’s acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati engaged with a French team, including senior officials from France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense, alongside the French Ambassador to Lebanon.

Following the meeting, French Ambassador to Lebanon, Herve Magro, mentioned that the gathering was an extension of French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné’s recent visit. The discussions centered on the current challenges in South Lebanon, Magro revealed.

Séjourné, who had been in Beirut on Tuesday, came forward with initiatives aimed at calming the ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah at the border. He highlighted the precarious nature of the border climate and relayed Israel’s stern stance towards Lebanon, as per a Lebanese official’s statement to The Associated Press.

The proposals by Séjourné included enhancing the Lebanese Army’s presence in the border vicinity and initiating talks to resolve 13 areas of contention along the border, lingering since Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. This information was shared by a Lebanese diplomat stationed in Europe.