Representatives of 17 countries are taking part on Thursday in an international military and security meeting in Paris aimed at defining the needs of the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces and developing a practical plan to strengthen their capabilities and deployment across Lebanon. The meeting is preceded by political talks hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron for his Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun, and Jordan's King Abdullah II.
Conference discusses needs of Lebanese security institutions
The conference is discussing support for Lebanon's security institutions alongside issues including the disarmament of Hezbollah, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory and the future of the south as the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, nears its end. The conference is expected to conclude with a declaration of intent outlining an aid programme and a timetable for its delivery.
Diverging positions on international presence in the south
The United Nations has also drawn up scenarios for a smaller international presence, amid Israeli opposition and US hesitation over establishing a mandate similar to that of the current force. In Beirut, the Lebanese parliament renewed its confidence in Nawaf Salam's government on the eve of the meeting, during a session from which Hezbollah lawmakers withdrew before the vote.
Salam said negotiations with Israel had not achieved the desired results but were not yet complete, explaining that the process includes an Israeli withdrawal in stages and the extension of Lebanese state sovereignty over its territory. He affirmed that his government was working to preserve an effective international presence in the south after the end of the UNIFIL mission.
The Lebanese prime minister called for rallying around the state to strengthen its position in negotiations, explaining that the tripartite framework represents a political negotiating process, not an agreement or treaty in the legal sense.
