Le Drian expected in Beirut on Sept. 10

Jean-Yves Le Drian, special envoy of President Emmanuel Macron, is expected in Beirut on Sept. 10, according to information obtained by L'Orient-Le Jour. He will be accompanied by the French president's economic adviser, Jacques de Lajugie.

Le Drian is expected to prepare the two conferences that President Macron plans to convene: the first on reconstruction in Lebanon, the second on support for the army.

Le Drian's visit was announced on Monday by France’s ambassador to Beirut, Hervé Magro, during a meeting with President Joseph Aoun in Baabda. The French envoy should also follow up on the phase following the renewal of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the issue of the state's monopoly on arms.

UNIFIL’s mandate was renewed at the end of August by the Security Council for a final time until the end of 2026, after which it must withdraw from southern Lebanon. This arrangement matches a French proposal to which the United States ultimately agreed, despite initial reluctance.

The Lebanese Cabinet decided on Aug. 5 to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year based on an American proposal, a move the pro-Iranian party and its allies reject.