🔻France invited Lebanon to take part in the preliminary meeting to support its army

Lebanon announced that France has invited the country to take part in a meeting whose aim is to lay the groundwork for an international conference to support the Lebanese army.

The conference was due to be held in March, but Hezbollah’s attack on Israel in support of Iran led to its postponement.

Joseph Aoun, Lebanon’s president, thanked Emmanuel Macron for holding this conference and praised his “continued attention to Lebanon and its national institutions, especially the army and internal security forces.”

The statement further said that the Lebanese army “needs international support and a collective effort” to meet its operational requirements, logistical equipment, training, and to enhance its capabilities.

According to the Lebanese presidency, the meeting will be attended by commanders of the armed forces of several countries, representatives of state and international organizations, as well as experts.

After the Lebanese government last year pledged to disarm Hezbollah and made the army responsible for carrying out this process, a number of countries received promises of international support for their own military forces.

Lebanon and Israel held direct talks in recent months with U.S. mediation. In those negotiations, the two sides emphasized the disarmament of Hezbollah, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the area.

The process is expected to begin first on a trial basis in parts of southern Lebanon.