Le Drian's Beirut visit: Regional significance amid presidential election urgency

Arriving from Riyadh, French Presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian landed in Beirut on his third visit.

The broad subject of the visit emphasizes the urgent need to elect a president in the Republic.

However, what makes this visit more regional in scope than previous ones, as confirmed by French sources to LBCI, is its significance.

In his meetings with Speaker Nabih Berri and Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, as well as with Army Commander Joseph Aoun and parliamentary blocs, the French envoy will reiterate the importance of electing a president, as it has become an external demand before an internal one, especially after the war on Gaza, according to French sources.

Therefore, the events that unfolded on the southern front will be a key point in the discussions.

France, like the international community, is keen on avoiding escalation on this front, making the implementation of the provisions of Resolution 1701 an integral part of the talks, according to these sources.

Therefore, France believed that expediting the election of a president and implementing 1701 would enable Lebanon to play a role in any comprehensive political solution at the regional level.