Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, French President Emmanuel Macron and Jordan’s King Abdullah II met in Paris on Thursday as France sought international backing for Lebanon’s armed forces and discussions began on arrangements to replace the U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.

The trilateral meeting took place ahead of a preparatory gathering for an international conference supporting the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces at the Invalides. The talks are part of a new round of the Aqaba Process, which seeks to identify ways to strengthen the Lebanese military and enable it to carry out its mission of protecting the country’s security in cooperation with the Internal Security Forces.

The leaders discussed ways to enhance cooperation and coordination in areas of mutual interest, while also addressing a broader regional escalation.

They stressed the need to intensify international efforts toward comprehensive and lasting de-escalation and the restoration of regional stability. They also discussed developments in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Aoun stressed that security across the region was interconnected and called for a joint regional security strategy based on shared energy projects as well as economic, security and political cooperation.

Earlier, Aoun and Macron met at the Elysee Palace, where they discussed efforts to halt Israeli attacks in the context of Lebanese-American-Israeli negotiations and the so-called “Framework Agreement.”

Aoun thanked Macron for France’s support for Lebanon, his personal attention to the country’s situation and his efforts to strengthen the authority and sovereignty of the Lebanese state and support its official, security and military institutions.

The Lebanese president also welcomed an initiative launched by Macron and Italy’s prime minister concerning the period after the end of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL.

France and Italy have said they want to establish a multinational coalition to support Lebanon after UNIFIL’s mandate ends. The U.N. mission, established in 1978, is due to end its mandate this year, with a subsequent drawdown and withdrawal.

The Paris meeting is focused in part on assessing a Lebanese army deployment plan and clarifying the operational framework for any future international support. France has said it wants the operational context, parameters and modalities of such a deployment to be defined as a prerequisite for robust international assistance, including funding, equipment and training.

The two sides also agreed to maintain communication and strengthen cooperation in several areas, particularly the economy and energy, and to resume oil and gas exploration in Lebanon’s offshore blocks.

Representatives from 17 countries are taking part in the preparatory meeting, which is intended to identify the needs of the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces. The discussions come as three issues dominate Lebanon’s security landscape: Hezbollah’s disarmament, Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the future of southern Lebanon as UNIFIL’s mandate approaches its end.

The Elysee has described the overarching objective of the meeting as “strengthening Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

Saudi Arabia, Britain and Italy are among the participating countries, while the United States is expected to be represented by Gen. Joseph Clearfield, head of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon.

The talks come as Lebanon seeks international support to strengthen its armed forces and avoid a security vacuum in the south after the end of UNIFIL’s nearly five-decade presence.

The Lebanese army has been severely constrained by years of economic crisis and shortages of equipment and resources. Its ability to deploy and enforce the state’s authority in the south is closely tied to the wider dispute over Hezbollah’s weapons.

The disarmament of Hezbollah is a key element of the security arrangements under discussion and has been linked by Israel to its withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Israel and Lebanon have also held several rounds of U.S.-mediated talks aimed at easing tensions along their border.

France and its partners are therefore seeking to clarify how the Lebanese army could deploy and what kind of international assistance would be required to support it once the current U.N. mission begins to withdraw.