Diplomatic sources in the French capital revealed to the newspaper "Al-Jumhuriya" that French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Beirut will be different from his previous visits, particularly in terms of directly overseeing the implementation of the French initiative's executive mechanism, which primarily includes the formation of a government of mission.
The sources confirmed that French officials are now approaching the Lebanese file as a serious priority, unlike the situation a few weeks ago. They noted that the Elysee Palace does not discuss a specific date for Macron's visit to Beirut but considers that the "critical situation" of the Lebanese file implies that this visit should not be delayed for several weeks. They indicated that what the French President referred to as "verifying basic matters" is related to the preliminary preparations for this visit, whether in Paris or with the Lebanese side. It is known that French communication with Lebanese leaders has not stopped, even until a few days ago.
In response to a question, the sources pointed to the recent announcement from the French Foreign Ministry about its active engagement towards Lebanon, stating that this serves as a French signal indicating that the Lebanese file is on a "high French flame." The sources did not rule out the possibility that Macron's visit to Beirut could be preceded by a preliminary visit from French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
President Macron spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden, expressing a shared desire between the two countries to work together to find a solution to the situation in Lebanon.
