Jean-Noël Barrot in Lebanon Saturday and Sunday

The French foreign minister and the delegate minister for the Armed Forces will travel to Lebanon on Saturday and Sunday to discuss the "modalities of the international presence" in the country following the end of the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL) mandate, according to concordant sources. The goal is to "prepare for the scheduled withdrawal of UNIFIL on Dec. 31 and prevent a security vacuum that we consider extremely dangerous," as well as support the implementation of the Lebanese-American-Israeli framework agreement concluded in June, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained.

This agreement provides for the deployment of the Lebanese army across the entire territory with the aim of disarming Hezbollah and the withdrawal of Israel from the south of the country. "It is essential to support this process. This implies maintaining an international presence to accompany and support the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Internal Security Forces, and so the issue is to define the modalities of this international presence as of Jan. 1, 2027," said the Quai d'Orsay.

This trip by Jean-Noël Barrot and Alice Rufo also aims to "reiterate France's support for the stability and full sovereignty of Lebanon," according to those close to the delegate minister for the Armed Forces. They will meet with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Defense Minister Michel Menassa, Army Commander-in-Chief General Rodolph Haykal, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, according to this source.

France and Italy announced in June their intention to set up a multinational "coalition" at the end of UNIFIL's mandate to strengthen "sovereignty in Lebanon." The European Union, for its part, announced Monday the upcoming launch of a training and education mission for the Lebanese army. The visits by the two French ministers come a month after a conference in Paris on this topic attended by Joseph Aoun, Jordan's King Abdullah II, and the chiefs of staff of the French, British, Italian, Jordanian and Lebanese armies, as well as senior American and Saudi officials.

During his visit, the French foreign minister also intends to bring Paris' support for "the adoption of economic reforms that are absolutely essential. They have been launched; they must be brought to completion," according to the Quai d'Orsay. He also plans to discuss "the response to the humanitarian emergency, as more than 1.2 million Lebanese have been forced to leave their homes" following Israeli bombings in the spring. Since 2024, around 139 million euros — representing nearly 100 tons of emergency medical and material aid — have been delivered.