French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna stands with her Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan in Paris. (Credit: Twitter/@MinColonna)
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna spoke with her Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, on Friday about the "security and stability" of Lebanon and other countries in the region, Colonna announced via Twitter.
"New quality exchanges with my Saudi counterpart after our talks in Riyadh and the G20," wrote Colonna.
She said the points discussed for the "strengthening of the cooperation" between Riyadh and Paris included "regional security and stability" in Iran, Lebanon, Yemen and the Palestinian Territories, as well as "support for vulnerable populations."
On Feb. 6, Paris hosted representatives from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt for a meeting on Lebanon, which is simultaneously struggling with one of the most severe economic crises in modern history and its first-ever executive double vacancy.
The five powers outlined a roadmap to elect a consensus president for Lebanon but did not mention a specific candidate.
Last week, French diplomacy called on Lebanese officials to speed up the presidential election, the formation of a new government and the implementation of reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund in order to release aid to Lebanon.
It also warned of "consequences" for all those responsible for the current obstruction.