Lebanon17 September, 20263 min read
Macron Hosts Joseph Aoun and King Abdullah II for Paris Preparatory Meeting Supporting Lebanese Army
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Macron hosts Aoun and Abdullah II in Paris to discuss support for Lebanon's army. Discuss post-UNIFIL era and possible replacement in southern Lebanon.
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Paris meeting for Lebanon
A preparatory meeting to support the Lebanese army and internal security forces is set to be held in Paris on Thursday, September 17, with French President Emmanuel Macron hosting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, according to L'Orient-Le Jour’s correspondent in Paris. Akhbaral-Yawm frames the Paris conference as more political than military and says it will not determine the amount of aid, noting that “all this conference will carry is the preparation for a support conference and the delivery of grants whose timing is unknown.” Akhbaral-Yawm also links the conference’s fate to what the United States wants, saying the conference “comes after almost a year of delay” and was repeatedly postponed before “Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the deadly war on March 2.”
In the lead-up, Al-Null reports that a French high-ranking source said the meeting “will not be the conference that will decide on providing support, equipment,” but instead a discussion of security and military situations and Lebanon’s needs. Al-Sharq lil-akhbar adds that Aoun left Beirut on Wednesday for Paris at Macron’s invitation, and that the preparatory meeting at the Élysée Palace is scheduled to be attended by army chiefs and heads of staff for one day.
US role and Hezbollah weapons
L'Orient-Le Jour reports that a French source said the United States will attend the preparatory meeting at a military level, alongside a U.S. State Department official, and that Saudi attendance will also be at a military level.
That same French source told L'Orient-Le Jour that Saudi Arabia has informed France that the assistance requested will not be available “before Hizbullah is disarmed,” while Macron is set to hold bilateral meetings with King Abdullah II and President Joseph Aoun followed by a trilateral summit at the Élysée Palace.
Al-Sharq lil-akhbar says the conference is expected to form part of the “ Aqaba Process,” and describes its primary aim as aligning the Lebanese Army’s needs with its capacity to carry out tasks entrusted by the Lebanese government in its August 5 decision to monopolize arms by the state.
Al-Youm as-Sābiʿ reports that the Paris meeting will tackle three files, including “assessing the security situation in Lebanon” and coordinating international partners to support strengthening the capabilities of the Lebanese armed forces.
In parallel, Al-Sharq lil-akhbar says Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed any country wishing to keep its forces in the south after UNIFIL’s mission ends, while the UN Security Council is considering three options for an enhanced monitoring force after UNIFIL’s mandate ends.
After UNIFIL and next steps
Al-Youm as-Sābiʿ says the preparatory conference aims to formulate a “realistic action plan” enabling the Lebanese armed forces to expand their presence in the south and cover urgent logistical and outfitting needs, while the European Union presents mechanisms to support training and advisory.
The same article says Lebanon is still looking for alternatives to UNIFIL, scheduled to depart from its southern area next December, and quotes Aoun stressing the need to avoid creating a vacuum after UNIFIL’s withdrawal.
Al-Yawm as-Sābiʿ also reports that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated during a parliamentary accountability session that the decision to go to war or peace must be exclusively subject to sovereignty of the state and its official institutions.
Akhbaral-Yawm argues that there is “no blank check” for the state and says what is required is implementation of government and executive decisions, “foremost among them restricting weapons and striking the activity of Hezbollah.”
In Yarzeh, Elnashra reports that Minister of National Defense Michel M. Nassy received French ambassador Patrick Durel and said the meeting also covered arrangements related to the post-UNIFIL phase at the end of the year and the Paris Conference for Supporting the Lebanese Army scheduled for September 17 in Paris.