Le Drian's Diplomacy: Navigating Lebanon's Challenges Without Breaching Stalemates

On the first day of his visit to Lebanon, French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian did not breach the presidential stalemate; in fact, he feared a vacuum in the position of the army command and, as a result, emphasized in all his meetings the need to avoid it. 

Le Drian commended the army's role, especially in his meeting with General Joseph Aoun, keeping the discussion private. 

During his first-day meetings, Le Drian spoke on behalf of the Quintet Committee, which includes France, the US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt, urging the completion of the presidential entitlement as soon as possible, according to the mechanism of the open session and successive sessions with a quorum.

This as sources in Ain el-Tineh described Le Drian's mission as a "refresh" and reintroduced the issue of consultations preceding the open session, refusing to label it as a dialogue. For his part, Berri emphasized the importance of the process rather than the terminology and labels.

Le Drian affirmed adherence to Resolution 1701, insisting on practical implementation by the army and UNIFIL in maintaining security along the border with Israel. These topics will be central to Le Drian's meeting with Hezbollah on the second day of his visit, indicating the potential for positive developments both presidentially and in the south. Hezbollah's relationship with the French has been strained, especially after President Emmanuel Macron's position during the Al-Aqsa Flood operation.