French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu are undertaking a joint visit to Lebanon today. On this occasion, Paris is set to launch a new phase of persistent diplomatic efforts to address key constitutional milestones, including the election of a president, the appointment of a prime minister to form a government, and the completion of procedural steps to solidify the ceasefire and fully implement the terms of the agreement signed between the Lebanese and Israeli governments.

This visit coincides with the year-end holidays and follows a French tradition where government officials spend "some time" with troops stationed abroad. The visit aims to achieve two primary objectives: advancing efforts to place Lebanon on the path to resolving its political and security challenges, and bolstering the work of the Quintet Committee tasked with overseeing the ceasefire.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has emphasized that French-American coordination to achieve these two objectives is proceeding at full speed. It affirmed that there is no wavering in urging the Lebanese to elect a president for their country and in completing military preparations to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces to fulfill their responsibilities under the ceasefire agreement. This includes positioning the army as the sole military force on Lebanese soil and compelling Israel to respect Lebanon's sovereignty.

A diplomatic source at the French Foreign Ministry, responding to questions from "Nidaa Al-Watan" newspaper, stated that Paris welcomed the announcement of a parliamentary session to vote on the presidential elections scheduled for January 9.

The source added: “As you know, the personal envoy of the French President, Jean-Yves Le Drian, regularly visits Beirut and engages with all Lebanese parties. The message he carries is crystal clear: It is imperative that the Lebanese elect, within the specified timeline, a strong president capable of uniting them to achieve sustainable recovery for the country and restore the sovereignty of the Lebanese state. The current situation demands this more than ever, both for Lebanon's internal stability and for supporting lasting peace in the region.”

Regarding the security situation, a diplomatic source at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: "We maintain constant communication with U.S. authorities on the Lebanese file, as we do with all other regional issues. In Lebanon, our coordination with the American partner has been strengthened within the framework of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, which came into effect on November 27. This mechanism, in close collaboration with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), ensures the follow-up on the implementation of the ceasefire. We continue to exert all efforts to ensure that all parties adhere to their commitments under the signed agreement."

French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu is set to discuss with Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun the army’s equipment and logistical needs in line with the $200 million allocated during the Paris conference on October 24. Additionally, Lecornu is scheduled to meet with General Edgar Lawandos, the commander of the South Litani sector, on Wednesday. Both French ministers will then travel to southern Lebanon to spend the year-end holiday with the French contingent serving within UNIFIL.