The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, at the conclusion of French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian’s visit, that he "proposed to all stakeholders involved in the presidential election process to invite them in September for a meeting in Lebanon aimed at reaching an agreement on priority issues and projects that the next president should address."
The statement added that "the objective of this meeting is to create a climate of trust that allows the parliament to convene under favorable conditions for the election of a president." It clarified that Le Drian's proposal "is supported by Lebanon's partners and friends who met in Doha, and it has also received a positive response from Lebanese parties."
Le Drian is seeking to hold a meeting in September for the stakeholders involved in electing a president for Lebanon in an attempt to create a "climate of trust" to resolve the ongoing political crisis in the country. Following his departure from Beirut, the spokesperson for the envoy issued the following statement: "Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, the personal representative of the President of the Republic in Lebanon, made a second visit to Lebanon from July 25 to 27. As he did during his first visit, he emphasized to all his interlocutors the necessity of breaking free from the current political and institutional deadlock caused by the extension of the presidential vacancy period, which poses significant risks to Lebanon and its stability."
In this context, he proposed to all actors involved in the presidential election process to invite them in September to a meeting in Lebanon aimed at reaching consensus on priority issues and projects that the republic must lead, thus embodying the qualities necessary to meet these responsibilities. The goal of this meeting is to create a climate of trust and allow the parliament to meet under favorable conditions for an open vote to quickly resolve this crisis."
He added: "This facilitative approach that France has initiated is fully supported by Lebanon's partners and friends who gathered in Doha on July 17. The personal envoy noted the constructive openness of all his Lebanese interlocutors to this concrete and pragmatic approach centered on electing the president and what needs to be done to commit Lebanon to a path of recovery and stability, enabling it to regain its standing in its regional environment and restore the confidence of the international community."
Le Drian has spent the past six weeks on shuttle diplomacy among capitals in the region and has held discussions with countries that have influence over Lebanon or have interests there. Macron led international relief efforts following a massive explosion that killed more than 200 people in Beirut in 2019 and devastated large areas of the Lebanese capital. However, his subsequent efforts to resolve the political and economic crisis have not borne fruit. Lebanon has been without a president since the end of President Michel Aoun's term at the end of October, which exacerbates the political paralysis in a country experiencing one of the world's worst economic crises for years.
