France Presses Lebanon to Prevent "Military Vacuum"

A French diplomatic source revealed to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that "Paris has frozen aid that was planned for the Lebanese army in an effort to pressure Lebanese politicians to prevent a vacuum at the top of the military institution with the impending retirement of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun at the beginning of next month." The source stated that "France senses a significant threat facing Lebanon: the chaotic situation along its southern borders and the military and security vacuum, which has put its diplomacy on high alert." The source clarified that "France will not intervene in how to prevent the vacuum, whether by extending General Joseph Aoun's term or by filling the void in the General Staff, which could replace the army commander." He noted that "France may have accepted that electing a president for Lebanon has become impossible in the foreseeable future, but it has not declared its surrender regarding preventing a vacuum in the army leadership, particularly following the first vacuum in the presidency for more than a year and another vacuum in the Governorship of the Central Bank." The source announced that "a decision was made to link the aid designated for the army and collaboration with it to resolving this issue. France was expected to provide substantial military aid to the army in the form of military vehicles, and there was an agreement with the French Ministry of Armed Forces to unify the procurement requests for medicines for the benefit of both the Lebanese and French armies, which would reduce the price by about 70% for Lebanon."