French Foreign Minister Stéphane Sigourney began his meetings in Lebanon with a visit to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh, accompanied by the French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro, the Director of North Africa and the Middle East at the French Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Anne Grillo, a number of French Foreign Ministry advisors, and Berri's advisor Mahmoud Berri. The discussions focused on the general situation in Lebanon and the region, as well as the political and field developments due to Israel's ongoing aggression against Gaza and Lebanon. The French minister, upon leaving, simply stated, "I will not comment now; I will comment later."
After the meeting, Minister Bouhabib remarked, "The French care about Lebanon's safety, and Sigourney conveyed the Israeli atmosphere about returning settlers to their villages, while we want complete peace and a full withdrawal." He added, "France has suggestions for a solution that are not ready yet." He continued, "We warned about the potential for an Israeli war and informed Sigourney that we want an agreement on clarifying the land borders." He stated: "There is ongoing dialogue with Hezbollah at the Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister's office levels, and there is absolutely no disagreement with them." He also mentioned, "We propose assistance from the international community to maintain a greater presence of the army to recruit 7,000 personnel, and the French are interested in this matter."
At the Grand Serail, Prime Minister Najib Mikati received French Foreign Minister Stéphane Sigourney. Also present were French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro, Ambassador Anne Grillo, and a number of advisors. From the Lebanese side, former Minister Nicolas Nahas and Ambassador Boutros Assaker attended. During the meeting, the French minister indicated that his visit to Lebanon is part of a tour aimed at stopping the war in Gaza, preserving stability in Lebanon, and mitigating risks. He emphasized that electing a new president for Lebanon is a fundamental matter to address the significant challenges facing Lebanon and the region. He stressed the priority of maintaining calm in the south and halting military operations. Sigourney also visited Army Commander General Joseph Aoun and affirmed the importance of the military institution's role in maintaining Lebanon's security. In a related context, French diplomatic sources reported that Foreign Minister Stéphane Sigourney reiterated his call for the implementation of Resolution 1701 by Lebanon regarding the continued deployment of the Lebanese army south of the Litani River.
