The headquarters of the French Foreign Affairs Ministry in Paris, located on the Quai d'Orsay. (Credit: AFP file)
BEIRUT — France's Foreign Affairs Ministry reiterated on Thursday its call for Lebanon to elect a new president, while reforms are "more than ever essential" amid "the continued political stalemate," a spokesperson said at a press conference in Paris.
"What I can tell you again is the well-known position of France regarding Lebanon: our concern about the seriousness of the situation, economically, of course, but also the political stalemate that continues in Lebanon," she said.
"The solution, for us, is known and it is simple: the election of a President of the Republic who brings people together, the establishment of a fully-fledged government and finally the implementation of reforms that are more than ever essential to end the crisis; reforms that can meet the expectations of the Lebanese people."
Asked if a meeting of the Group of Five on Lebanon is planned soon in Paris, the spokesperson said she was "not aware of a new date for a new meeting in this format."
The so-called Group of Five on Lebanon is a gathering of representatives of France, the United States, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt that met on Feb. 6 in Paris to discuss the Lebanese crisis.
Earlier this month, the French Foreign Affairs Ministry warned of "consequences" for all the Lebanese officials responsible for blocking the presidential election and reforms required for Lebanon to reap a sought-after IMF bailout.
There has been no president in Lebanon since Nov. 1, 2022. The caretaker government chaired by Najib Mikati has been running the country since May 2022 legislative elections.
The IMF warned last Thursday that the country was in dire straits nearly a year after it committed to implementing reforms.