The French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian arriving at the Grand Serail, Sept. 11, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian met Thursday with Lebanese leaders in Beirut, where he reaffirmed France’s commitment to organizing two international conferences to support Lebanon and its army.
At the Baabda Presidential Palace, President Joseph Aoun urged France and the United States to pressure Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon, saying such steps would help the Lebanese Army implement its plan to disarm militias, particularly Hezbollah.
According to the Presidential Palace's X account, Aoun told Le Drian that “any French or American pressure on Israel to cease hostilities will help implement the security plan developed by the army and approved by Cabinet.”
Le Drian also met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Last week, the army commander presented a five-step roadmap aimed at restoring the state’s monopoly on weapons. The Cabinet approved the plan despite the walkout of all Shiite ministers.
The army has already begun dismantling Hezbollah’s arsenal and positions south of the Litani River under a cease-fire that took effect Nov. 27, 2024, ending 13 months of war with Israel. Despite the cease-fire, Israel continues to strike southern Lebanon daily and frequently targets the Bekaa.
On Thursday, Israeli strikes hit both regions, including a border area with Syria in the Anti-Lebanon and the town of Ansar (Nabatieh district) north of the Litani.
Aoun stressed that “cohesion and solidarity among the Lebanese are undeniable and unquestionable, and no one is seeking to sow discord within the Lebanese stance on key issues.”
For his part, Le Drian said France remains committed to supporting Lebanon and is pushing ahead with two planned donor conferences in Paris to help finance reconstruction, strengthen the army and revive the economy. Similar conferences in the past tied aid disbursement to reforms, which were long delayed.
Since Aoun’s election in January and the formation of Salam’s government in February, Lebanon has begun passing reforms demanded by the international community, particularly in the banking sector.
“Measures recently taken by Lebanon contribute to increasing the external support it already enjoys,” Le Drian said, according to the presidency — a reference to reforms and the government’s decision to disarm militias.
Le Drian added that he had “encouraging contacts in Saudi Arabia on support for Lebanon,” after years of Riyadh’s disengagement due to Hezbollah’s dominance in political life.
Last year’s war destroyed much of Hezbollah's arsenal and nearly decimated its leadership. The collapse of its supply lines from Iran was compounded by the fall of the Assad regime in Syria on Dec. 8, 2024. Since then, Saudi envoy Yazid bin Farhan has visited Beirut several times, including last week.
‘An irreversible national choice’
From the Grand Serail in Beirut, Salam assured the French envoy that the state’s monopoly on weapons was now “an irreversible national choice.”
Salam then outlined his government’s priorities, built around three essential stages: “a conference on reconstruction and economic recovery to mobilize the resources needed for infrastructure, housing and relaunching the economy; a support conference for the Lebanese Army to ensure its financing, logistical capacity and equipment, enabling it to strengthen stability and extend state authority; and finally, the ‘Beirut 1’ investment conference, aimed at opening new horizons for capital and consolidating the international community’s confidence in Lebanon.”
Salam stressed that “these stages are interdependent and complementary: there can be no economic recovery without security stability, nor stability without strong institutions and an attractive investment environment,” underlining that “the success of these three initiatives requires the support of France, as well as Arab and international friends.”
For his part, Le Drian congratulated the Lebanese government for “the measures taken to extend state authority,” reaffirming “France’s commitment to support Lebanon in the three initiatives” presented by Salam. He said that “the Lebanese Army constitutes the primary guarantor of internal stability and citizens’ trust,” adding that “Paris will support all three conferences.”
The French envoy also stressed “the importance of accelerating financial and economic reforms, in particular the submission of the draft law on the distribution of financial losses to Parliament and progress toward an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, considered essential conditions for strengthening the international community’s confidence.”
Later in the day, Le Drian met with army commander Rodolph Haykal in Yarze. The discussions focused on the general situation in Lebanon and the region, as well as ways to support the army in light of current developments and challenges.
