Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called for continuing support for the Lebanese army to enable it to extend state authority over the entire territory of the country.
Salam, during his meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barro in Beirut on Sunday, highlighted the importance of continuing French support for Lebanon, particularly efforts aimed at achieving the complete Israeli withdrawal from its territories and extending state authority over its entire land solely by its own forces.
Reconstruction in the South
Salam emphasized the importance of supporting the Lebanese state in the process of return, recovery, and reconstruction in the South, which contributes to stabilizing residents in their land, restoring basic services, and strengthening the presence of state institutions.
Post-UNIFIL arrangements
The two sides discussed international arrangements for the post-UNIFIL phase, with Salam clarifying the necessity of avoiding any vacuum in the South and ensuring the continuation of an international presence carrying out monitoring, reporting, and communication tasks under the umbrella of a UN Security Council resolution.
Paris's stance
For his part, Barro affirmed France's support for Lebanon's sovereignty and stability, and its readiness to continue supporting the Lebanese state and army, contributing to shaping international arrangements for the post-UNIFIL phase, and supporting reform, recovery, and reconstruction efforts.
Paris confirms that its support for the Lebanese army is unconditional, but emphasizes that the goal of the upcoming Lebanon support conference will not be limited to providing financial, equipment, and arms support to the Lebanese army; it must also address economic and financial reforms, with a clear objective of enhancing Lebanese sovereignty in all areas.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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