Surprise visit: French foreign intelligence chief's unexpected trip to Lebanon

The head of France's foreign intelligence, Nicolas Lerner, made a surprise visit to Lebanon on Wednesday, his first since assuming his position last December.

This article is originally published in, translated from Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.

France has been working on two fronts since the outbreak of the Gaza war: striving for a truce and securing humanitarian aid.

Regarding the Lebanese situation, it seeks to outline broad lines for a suitable agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

Sources told Al-Akhbar newspaper that Lerner discussed two key issues related to the Gaza war and its repercussions in Lebanon and the region.

The first focused on the situation in the south and the military developments there, within the broader framework of ongoing diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, including CIA Director William Burns' tour to achieve a ceasefire, and its potential implications for Lebanon. 

This is tied to Lebanon's response to the French proposal and what can be agreed upon to arrange the situation in the south and deal positively with French suggestions to transition to an actionable phase.

The second focused on counterterrorism efforts in coordination between Lebanon and France, as Lebanese security agencies have relied on exchanging information with France regarding terrorism-linked files.

Security officials presented to the French visitor the Lebanese efforts in dismantling terrorist networks and signs regarding the reactivation of some terrorist cells after a lull of about two years in some security areas that recently witnessed the dismantling of several cells and networks.

The issue of Syrian refugees was not absent from the discussions, especially from the Lebanese authorities, who highlighted the risks of this issue and its implications for Lebanon.