The Lebanese issue was a focal point of discussions during the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Normandy landing, attended by various delegations. This was exemplified in the American-French roadmap issued following U.S. President Joe Biden's official visit to France last Saturday, which called for continued efforts to halt escalation and avoid regional conflict, as well as to address the presidential vacancy without delay, form a government, and implement fundamental reforms.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced in a statement to journalists after his working lunch with the U.S. President that the door to a political solution had been opened, emphasizing that only this would lead toward a just and lasting peace. He reiterated France's support for the comprehensive agreement proposed by the U.S. President and expressed concerns over escalation on both sides of the Blue Line, highlighting the importance of electing a new president and urging "increased joint efforts to prevent a regional explosion, especially in Lebanon," where both countries share an urgent need to apply specific criteria to reduce tensions along the Blue Line and on the institutional side.
Macron noted, "We have recorded close coordination between the two countries in discussions with Israel on one side and with Lebanon and all concerned parties on the other." The American-French roadmap that followed the bilateral meetings expressed both parties' concerns about escalation and the necessity to prevent the conflict from spreading, calling for cessation of escalation, implementation of international resolutions, election of a president, formation of a government, and undertaking of essential reforms.
The statement read: "France and the United States are determined to continue their joint efforts to achieve a stop to the escalation and avert regional conflict. It particularly emphasized the importance of maintaining stability in Lebanon and reducing tensions along the Blue Line. They will work together in this direction, urging all parties to show the utmost restraint and responsibility, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1701."
In this context, France and the United States reaffirmed the urgency of ending the 18-month-long presidential vacancy in Lebanon, proceeding without further delay to elect a new president and form a government while implementing fundamental reforms to stabilize the Lebanese economy and lay the foundations for communal economic recovery in the country.
Concerns over escalation were echoed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu, who expressed "worry about the situation in the Middle East, particularly the need to continue efforts in coordination with international partners to halt escalation on both sides of the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel."
In this regard, the leaders of the Quad group (France, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom) emphasized "the need to maintain stability in Lebanon as a critical issue." In a joint statement, they expressed their determination to unify efforts to support de-escalation along the Blue Line in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. They called on all parties to "exercise the utmost restraint to avoid any regional escalation" and affirmed their commitment to continue working together "to support the implementation of the plan presented by President Biden aimed at peace and stability in the region."
These meetings, according to diplomatic sources, provided an opportunity to address major international crises and coordinate between the U.S. and France to resolve conflicts in the Middle East, particularly concerning Gaza and both sides of the Blue Line in Lebanon. They reflected a desire to seek a solution based on identifying pathways that would contribute to peace and security.
These sources pointed out that the negotiation framework would define the capacity of France and the United States on the international stage and prepare conditions to meet major challenges regarding the Middle East. Paris clearly supports the initiative taken by Washington aimed at a ceasefire. Given that the situation has changed day by day for over eight months, the issue of the war in Gaza and the Lebanese-Israeli border topped the agenda during discussions, based on recent political and military developments. The coming days or weeks will determine how much pressure Paris, Washington, and their partners can exert to expedite a solution to the Lebanese issue, as they have linked the resolution to halting escalation, implementing Resolution 1701, filling the presidential vacuum, and forming a government that carries out reforms to revive the economic situation, according to "An-Nahar."
