France backs Lebanon army support conference, pushes reforms and state control of weapons

Report by Petra Abou Haidar, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

A conference aimed at securing international support for the Lebanese Army, scheduled for March 5, will go ahead as planned.

The army has prepared a list of its needs to present at the conference, which President Joseph Aoun is expected to attend.

The upcoming gathering was among the issues discussed during meetings in Beirut between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Lebanese officials, including the president, the parliament speaker, the prime minister, and the foreign minister.

According to sources, Barrot is scheduled to meet Saturday morning with the Lebanese Army Commander, who is returning from Washington, to discuss aligning the army's requirements with the next phases of Lebanon's plan to place all weapons under state control.

The talks are also expected to cover support for the Internal Security Forces (ISF) to strengthen their ability to maintain domestic security and ease pressure on the army.

In parallel with preparations for the army support conference, Barrot continued discussions with Lebanese officials that he had started during visits to Iraq and Syria, focusing on the regional status of Iran's allies, a file that directly concerns Lebanon.

In that context, Barrot reiterated France's longstanding position calling for weapons to be held exclusively by the Lebanese state, the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, and Israel's withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory.

French officials also voiced support for separating a proposed civilian negotiation committee, designed to facilitate communication between Lebanon and Israel through U.S. mediation, from the existing military mechanism that oversees ceasefire implementation.

France has signaled readiness to participate in the civilian committee, citing its historic role in Lebanon.

Regarding the U.N. peacekeeping force in South Lebanon, the French side, like the United Nations, is still examining the nature of a potential alternative should UNIFIL withdraw.

Barrot's talks in Beirut also addressed Lebanon's reform agenda, with France encouraging the government to move forward with reforms, particularly the passage of key legislation expected to pave the way for an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

France is seeking to convene a broader international conference to support Lebanon and postwar reconstruction, but officials have linked the timing of such a meeting to Lebanon reaching an IMF deal, as part of a broader path out of the country's economic crisis.