Cairo meeting to set stage for Paris conference on supporting Lebanese Army

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi  

Lebanon and key international partners are preparing for a Cairo meeting next Tuesday to lay the groundwork for a Paris conference in March focused on supporting the Lebanese Army.

With only days remaining before the Cairo session, Beirut has seen intensified diplomatic and military contacts. Among the latest meetings was a visit by Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari and Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolph Haykal to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at Ain el-Tineh.

The discussions came a day after Haykal met President Joseph Aoun and days after the Cabinet approved salary increases for public sector employees and military personnel. The pay raises still require parliamentary approval to take effect.

At Ain el-Tineh, Berri and Haykal discussed military affairs and the importance of supporting the army. While sources did not disclose details of the talks, observers noted Berri has long been associated with the phrase, "With the army, whether it is right or wrong."

The army's leadership is expected to carry its message on the institution's challenges and needs to the Cairo meeting. 

According to LBCI, Haykal is expected to attend alongside representatives of the five-nation committee involved in Lebanon's political and security file.

Participants are expected to include French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa, Qatari Minister of State Mohammed al-Khulaifi, Saudi envoy Prince Yazid bin Farhan, and U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.

The meeting is also expected to include the head and members of the Military Technical Committee for Lebanon, known as MTC4L, whose permanent members are France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Egypt has not yet announced who will represent it.

In Cairo, Lebanese army officials are expected to present the institution's operational challenges and the need to fulfill its full mandate. The meeting is not expected to produce pledges, but rather a summary that will be submitted to the Paris conference, where the five-nation committee has been intensifying efforts to ensure a successful outcome.

The Paris conference is expected to shape the international community's view of Lebanon. It will be chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and, in principle, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who is expected to lead the Lebanese delegation following an invitation from Macron delivered by French Ambassador to Beirut Hervé Magro.