After the conclusion of the "Baghdad 2" conference in Amman, French President Emmanuel Macron gave an interview to "An-Nahar," "Le Monde," and "The Wall Street Journal" aboard the French presidential plane en route from Amman to Paris. Macron told "An-Nahar" that the goal of the "Baghdad 2" conference was to provide proposals to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani so he wouldn't stray from a regional agenda. He noted that the Jordanian monarch "took a risk by calling for this conference, and al-Sudani's acceptance to participate is a victory for this agenda, in addition to setting up projects that will be worked on in the water, gas, and electricity sectors, as well as vital projects for Iraq."
He affirmed his belief from the start that the Lebanese and Syrian problems cannot be solved except through negotiations aimed at reducing Iranian regional influence. Regarding Lebanon, Macron pointed out that he would take initiatives in the coming weeks, denying the possibility of holding an international conference for Lebanon. However, he stated: "We will work on tangible projects in the electricity sector, one of which is with Jordan's King Abdullah II. What concerns me are the Lebanese people, because the class that lives at the expense of the country lacks the courage to change."
He expressed disdain "for those who profit at the expense of their country and want to stay and extort," defending Prime Minister Najib Mikati "who does not yield to those who enriched themselves at the expense of the people and seek to extort and remain." He expressed doubts about the Lebanese people's ability "to expel these individuals," thus he wants to contribute to "finding an alternative political solution through tangible programs and projects, while at the same time not being lenient with the political class."
In response to a question about whether he supports the election of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun for the presidency, he emphasized that France "will not get involved in name games... Lebanon needs an honest president and prime minister, and we want to assist Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who is making efforts to work despite everything."
Regarding "Hezbollah," he stated that it "exists in Lebanon both on security and covert levels, and it is also present officially and benefits from the political system and mechanisms. Thus, I see that the solution to Lebanon’s problem lies in solving the problems of the people and restructuring the financial system, then developing a plan with two honest leaders for the republic and government."
He clarified that he would not visit Lebanon "because it is not the right time to do so," but confirmed he would visit peacekeeping forces. He mentioned that Saudi Arabia "is cooperating, and the latest indication is that it hosted President Mikati and has started funding, but not enough."
