In Baabda, Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt says Lebanon is 'model for the world'

President Joseph Aoun received French writer and playwright Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt at the Baabda Presidnetial Palace on Thursday, during Schmitt's visit to Lebanon for the presentation of his show.

During the meeting, the head of state praised "the place Lebanon holds" throughout the author's work.

In "Paradis," the first volume of an eight-part series, Schmitt chose a Lebanese protagonist, Noam, who was born in the Jeita Grotto at the dawn of time and traverses major milestones of human history up to the present day.

Aoun considered this work to contribute to "the enrichment of Francophone intellectual and cultural heritage, and more broadly, that of humanity as a whole."

For his part, Schmitt thanked Aoun for his welcome, asserting that Lebanon has "lived within him" since his first visit in 2001 and "remains a model for the world."

He spoke of the deep influence that the country and its people have had on his intellectual and literary journey, both in his books and theatrical works.

At the end of the meeting, the writer presented the president with a copy of the first volume of "La Traversée des temps."