France prepares meeting with Jordan to support Lebanese army
A meeting as part of the “Aqaba Process” dedicated to supporting the Lebanese army may take place in Paris, France, on September 17. France plans to host Jordan’s King Abdullah II ahead of a conference in support of the Lebanese armed forces, The National reports.
Meeting as part of the “Aqaba Process”
French President’s special envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian said that the new initiative is being launched under the auspices of Jordan’s king and expressed hope that it would be held in Paris on September 17.
According to Le Drian, strengthening the Lebanese army is key to efforts to secure the disarmament of the Hezbollah group. He noted that the army would not be able to ensure that the group gives up its weapons if it does not have sufficient resources to do so.
The “Aqaba Process” was launched by King Abdullah II in 2015 to strengthen regional military and security cooperation. According to media reports, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, as well as representatives of the United States and Saudi Arabia, may take part in the meeting in Paris.
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Support after UNIFIL’s withdrawal
France initially planned to hold a conference in support of the Lebanese army in March, but postponed it after the war with Iran began in late February. The new date for the conference has not yet been confirmed.
Paris, together with Italy, is working to establish a mission to support the Lebanese army ahead of the planned December withdrawal of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which had been in the country for nearly five decades. French diplomatic sources told the publication that France has for several months supported the creation of an EU Common Security and Defence Policy mission to strengthen the army’s capabilities in coordination with Lebanon’s authorities.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that more than ten European Union countries, including Ireland, are interested in participating in such a mission, but its format has not yet been determined. Le Drian also said that he is seriously concerned about Israel’s occupation of part of Lebanese territory and that negotiations on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from designated areas have reached a dead end.
