A Lebanese flag being lowered to half-mast on the presidential palace in Baabda, in November 2022. (Credit: @lebanesepresidency/Twitter/File photo)
BEIRUT — Representatives from the so-called Group of Five (France, United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt) met on Tuesday in New York to discuss ending Lebanon's nearly one-year presidential vacuum, amid growing domestic efforts to reach consensus on a candidate, according to a French diplomatic source familiar with the discussions.
The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where Lebonon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib are also in attendance.
Although the Group of Five did not issue a statement after their meeting, the diplomatic source confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour that the meeting "was an opportunity to take stock" of French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian's visit to Lebanon last week.
Lebanon has been without a president since Oct. 31, 2022, when former head of state Michel Aoun's term expired with no successor in place.
In a bid to put an end to this crisis, Paris has repeatedly dispatched Le Drian to Beirut, where he is working on behalf of the Group of Five.
During his latest visit, last week, Le Drian reportedly pushed for the choice of a third candidate, other than Sleiman Frangieh, who is backed by Hezbollah and the Amal movement, and his opponent supported by the opposition and the Free Patriotic Movement, Jihad Azour.
In August, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced an initiative to promote dialogue between the Lebanese parties, ahead of a 13th parliamentary voting session planned for early October.
Meanwhile, Qatar reportedly prefers army commander Joseph Aoun for president. However, Aoun asserted on Monday that he "does not care about the presidential election and that it does not concern him."