Derian to Grillo: ‘French efforts to solve Lebanon’s crisis should continue’

BEIRUT — Mufti of the Republic Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian met with French Ambassador to Lebanon Anne Grillo at Dar al-Fatwa Saturday where Derian stressed that “the French envoy's efforts to contribute to resolving Lebanon's crisis should continue to reach solutions.”

Derian reaffirmed his position to Grillo, who was on a farewell visit to Dar al-Fatwa. The ambassador's tenure in Lebanon ends in August.

Derian called on political forces in Lebanon to cooperate with the five countries [the US, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt] and the French envoy, who are working to “solve the presidential deadlock in Lebanon,” the state-run National News Agency reported.

Derian urged the Lebanese political class “to respond to the proposals and initiatives presented to them to navigate Lebanon out of the dark tunnel it has been in.”

In mid-July, the five countries said that they had discussed several measures against politicians and groups who were obstructing the election of a new president.

Lebanon has been without a president since Michel Aoun's mandate expired in October 2022 and a caretaker cabinet with a limited mandate has been overseeing government business, all while the country's financial collapse stretches into its third year.

"Mufti Derian was briefed by Ambassador Grillo on the consultations conducted by the French envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, with Lebanese leaders, which were constructive and positive," said the statement released from Derian’s office, as relayed by the NNA. L'Orient Today was unable to reach the French embassy's communications team to obtain Grillo's comments on the matter.

Derian stressed that “the five countries are a safety valve for Lebanon, and their efforts to find solutions to the presidential crisis stem from their concern for a free Arab Lebanon, with its resilient people enduring the suffering caused by the difficult living conditions while awaiting the election of a president who meets the specifications demanded by the Lebanese, as a starting point for a solution."

Derian concluded by stating that he believes “that international efforts are contingent upon Lebanese cooperation with the suggestions presented to preserve Lebanon by first electing a president, then forming a government and implementing reforms.”

The international community has long urged Lebanese leaders to end the political stalemate and stem the financial meltdown.

Decision-making in Lebanese politics can take months of negotiations among foreign-backed sectarian leaders. Former president Michel Aoun was elected in 2016 after a presidential vacancy that lasted more than two years.

Since 2020, France has been involved in the search for a solution to the political and economic crises roiling Lebanon, without success, and French President Emmanuel Macron has visited the country twice.