France to organize 2 aid conferences for Lebanon 'when conditions are met'

Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Rajji announced Sunday that he was informed by his French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot, of President Emmanuel Macron's intention to organize two international conferences for Lebanon — "one in support of the Lebanese Army, and the other dedicated to the reconstruction and economic recovery of the country, when the appropriate conditions are met."

During a phone call between the two diplomats, Barrot also indicated that France welcomed "the Lebanese government's adoption of the army's plan to restore the monopoly on arms" in the hands of the state, according to Rajji. "He affirmed France's willingness to support the Lebanese authorities in implementing their commitments and to support the Lebanese armed forces," he added, according to a statement posted on X.

'Best possible renewal of UNIFIL's mandate'

The Lebanese foreign minister also thanked his counterpart for the efforts made by France "to ensure the best possible renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon [UNIFIL]," which has been renewed "for the last time" for an additional year, through December 2026.

The international community and donors have conditioned financial aid to Lebanon and its army on the implementation of economic and institutional reforms, including concrete progress regarding the monopoly on arms — and thus the dismantling of Hezbollah's arsenal. A conference was held in Paris at the end of October 2024, in the midst of open war between Hezbollah and Israel, during which nearly $1 billion was raised for Lebanon, about a quarter of which was allocated to the Lebanese armed forces.

At the last Cabinet meeting, Friday, Sept. 5, army commander Rodolph Haykal presented his troops' plan to carry out the disarmament of all militias on Lebanese soil. After the five Shiite ministers withdrew from the session, the government of Nawaf Salam said it "welcomed" the plan, without formally adopting it or setting a precise timetable, so as not to completely upset the Amal-Hezbollah Shiite tandem.