Macron discusses Lebanon crisis with Saudi crown prince

BEIRUT – French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on the phone Saturday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and the two leaders agreed to "strengthen their cooperation to meet the humanitarian needs" of Lebanon, according to an Elysee statement.

"The discussion focused in particular on Lebanon. The president of the republic stressed the need to elect a president as soon as possible, so that the program of structural reforms essential to the recovery of the country is carried out," the French presidency said.

President Michel Aoun's term expired on Oct. 31 and Lebanon's deeply divided Parliament has already met five times without succeeding in electing a successor, while the country is plunged in a deep economic crisis. Macron "agreed with the crown prince to continue and strengthen their cooperation to meet the humanitarian needs of the population of Lebanon," added the Elysee.

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The international community has repeatedly called on Lebanese leaders to elect a president quickly; however, to date there has been no concrete international initiative regarding the matter.

In December 2021, Paris and Riyadh set up a Saudi-French mechanism to finance medical, educational, social and humanitarian projects in Lebanon. The mechanism was announced at a time when Lebanon was isolated on the Arab scene, after the outcry in October 2021 over comments by then Information Minister Georges Kurdahi on Riyadh's role in the war in Yemen. In reaction to the broadcasting of Kurdahi's remarks, several Gulf countries cut diplomatic relations with Lebanon; however, in recent months, Beirut has managed to restore ties with the Gulf monarchies.

In addition, on Sunday, "the head of state [French] and the crown prince have discussed the threats to the stability of the region" and "they expressed their willingness to strengthen the strategic partnership that binds the two countries. Macron recalled "that Saudi Arabia could count on France's support to ensure its security." Finally, the two leaders "expressed their willingness to strengthen economic ties between their two countries, especially in the field of energy."