French President Emmanuel Macron (left) shakes hands with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, on Jan. 20, 2026. (Credit: Ludovic Marin/AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Paris on Friday to discuss the fragile cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as the ongoing disarmament of the group, the Élysée said Thursday.
The information had been confirmed to L’Orient-Le Jour by two diplomatic sources, one French and one Lebanese.
During the meeting, Macron “will reiterate his commitment to the full and complete respect of the cease-fire by all parties” and will emphasize “the need for the Lebanese authorities to move forward with the second phase of the plan aimed at ensuring the state’s monopoly over arms and the full restoration of its sovereignty,” according to the French presidency.
Despite the truce that went into effect in November 2024, the Israeli army continues to regularly carry out strikes in Lebanon, claiming it is targeting Hezbollah, which it accuses of rearming.
In early January, the Lebanese Army had announced it had completed the disarmament of Hezbollah in the area south of the Litani River, on the border with Israel.
The second phase of the plan calls for gradually extending this process to the rest of the territory, but so far the party has refused to hand over its weapons north of the Litani.
Macron “will reaffirm France's full support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, the backbone of national sovereignty and the country's stability, ahead of the international conference in support of Lebanon's sovereignty, scheduled for March 5 in Paris under his leadership.”
The conference aims in particular to mobilize funding for the Lebanese Army, which faces a shortage of financial resources and equipment.
The two leaders will also discuss “the pursuit of the essential economic and financial reforms needed to strengthen Lebanon’s sovereignty and restore its prosperity,” the Élysée added.
The Lebanese government adopted in late December a draft law on the distribution of financial losses linked to the 2019 crisis, a long-awaited text by the international community.
Paris coordinates with Doha and Riyadh
On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Salam met Thursday with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, with whom he discussed “developments in the regional situation and their repercussions on Lebanon,” according to the Grand Serail.
Preparations for the conference in support of the Lebanese Army were also discussed.
At a press conference on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Quai d’Orsay indicated that Barrot had “reaffirmed France's full support for the Lebanese authorities in their efforts to sustainably restore stability, sovereignty and the functioning of Lebanon's institutions.”
He welcomed “the progress made over the past year,” notably “the commitment of the authorities and the Lebanese Army to the state’s monopoly over arms,” while encouraging the continuation of these efforts.
The spokesperson also stressed “the importance of continued economic and financial reforms,” in particular, the rapid passage by Parliament of the necessary texts for financial recovery and the conclusion of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, considering that these reforms are “a prerequisite for the return of investor and international community confidence.”
In this context, Barrot reiterated “France’s readiness to support Lebanon through the preparation of a second international conference in Paris dedicated to the country’s reconstruction and economic recovery, once the political and financial conditions are met.”
In response to a journalist's question, the spokesperson for the Quai d'Orsay also indicated that during his meeting with Salam, Barrot “recalled France's full support for the efforts of the Lebanese authorities to restore sovereignty over the entire territory, as part of the second phase announced a few weeks ago.”
“Our priorities are the respect of the Nov. 27, 2024, cease-fire and the restoration of Lebanon’s sovereignty over all its territory, especially the establishment of the state's monopoly over arms across all Lebanese territory,” he added, noting that “Israel, like all parties, is required to respect its obligations under the November 2024 agreement, but more broadly under international law.”
He also recalled that France has been “mobilized” with its partners, the United States, within the cease-fire monitoring mechanism. Asked about the usefulness of the “mechanism,” he said that “notification is a very important part ... But afterwards, indeed, there are efforts to be made and messages we pass on to the Israeli authorities.”
Also on Thursday, Barrot met with the Qatari prime minister and foreign minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, as well as his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan.
In both cases, the officials agreed to continue their coordination in preparation for the international conference in support of the Lebanese Army, reaffirming the need to strengthen the army and the state's monopoly over arms.
Salam also met with the Saudi foreign minister. According to the Grand Serail, he informed him of the government’s progress on reforms, notably regarding the state’s monopoly over arms throughout Lebanese territory.
The prime minister expressed confidence in the country’s security gains, particularly in the control of airports and ports, hoping this would facilitate the lifting of restrictions on Lebanese exports and on Saudi citizens traveling to Lebanon.
For his part, the Saudi minister praised the efforts of the Lebanese government and expressed his desire to strengthen bilateral relations and develop cooperation between the two countries in all areas.
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