French President Emmanuel Macron has opted to send Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu to Beirut instead of visiting himself, where he will stay until next Monday, December 2nd, to spend New Year's Eve with his country's battalion. His agenda includes meetings with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, his counterpart Maurice Slim, and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun. According to sources familiar with the Elysee's atmosphere, Macron will convey a strong message through his minister emphasizing the urgent need to elect a new president and form a reform government to move forward toward signing an executive agreement with the International Monetary Fund.
For its part, "Al-Jumhuriya" noted that while the Lebanese awaited Macron's visit, the French Defense Minister would arrive in Beirut in the coming hours to inspect his country's forces working in the United Nations peacekeeping mission "UNIFIL," and he will spend New Year's Eve with them before inspecting some French sites and projects in Lebanon.
During his visit, it is scheduled for the French guest to meet with outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati, his counterpart General Maurice Slim, and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun. Special appointments have been arranged for him at the French Embassy in the Pine Palace, as he is familiar with Lebanon and has several friends there, having previously visited Beirut multiple times.
In this context, it has been reported that Lecornu carries an oral message from President Macron that includes his regards to the Lebanese leaders, stressing the constants of French positions, one of which is the call for the expeditious election of a president and the formation of a new government with the required specifications to complete the financial, administrative, and customs reforms, as well as those related to the energy sector.
Lebanese and French diplomatic sources have not clarified whether Lecornu will discuss the anticipated quadripartite meeting or what is referred to as a special conference on Lebanon, similar to the special conference on Iraq and its neighboring countries that has been sponsored by President Macron since last July, with the second version held last week on the shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan.
