It’s current affairs, so the question, abrupt, was immediately asked by the student Omar Bouafiaa and Doctor Élie Aboud, former MP and Lebanese of origin: “Why was France unable to take part in the negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, despite the historical ties of brotherhood which unite the Lebanese and French people?”
Jean-Noël Barrot first said his report “particular” with Lebanon. “I went there for the first time at the age of 11, and already, I forged within myself a particular affection for this country which represents the hope of a plural Middle East in which communities coexist peacefully”he introduced before recalling France’s constant commitment.
“We are working so that the country recovers”
“Tirelessly, we plead for an end to hostilities, but also for this country to recover after years marked by war and the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This is how in November 2024, with the United States, we obtained a ceasefire interrupting a military escalation which threatened to push Lebanon into the abyss. We worked to ensure that the country acquired a President of the Republic and then a government capable of implementing essential reforms, of opening a process of disarming Hezbollah and of engaging in dialogue to resolve these differences with neighboring countries, in particular Syria and Israel.”
“So, in this war in which Hezbollah has once again dragged it in support of Iran and which it did not choose, we welcome the holding of a high-level dialogue between Lebanon and Israel which should make it possible to consolidate the ceasefire. This is good news even if we remain concerned by the violations which took place last night (Thursday), hoping that they will not happen again”unfolded the minister.
If Paris does not participate directly in the negotiations, it assures that it is “in constant contact with all parties”. Including, he points out, with Israel – he was on the phone with his counterpart on Friday morning to ask him to respect the ceasefire – despite the little words from his ambassador to the United States, who said he wanted France to stay as far away from the talks as possible.
“That he coordinates with his supervisory ministry and that he himself stays as far away from microphones and cameras as possible to guarantee the success of the discussions”Jean-Noël Barrot got angry.
Before concluding: “France, through its knowledge of the actors, through its history with the peoples concerned to the north and south of this border, will always play a central role.”
Leave a Reply