October 19, 2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received, in the Grand Serail, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot, and the Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Armed Forces, Alice Ruffaut, at the head of an accompanying delegation, in the presence of the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Patrick Durel, and the Minister of Culture, Ghassan Salama.
The meeting discussed the latest field and political developments in Lebanon and the region, where the Prime Minister appreciated the continued French support for Lebanon, especially the efforts aimed at achieving complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and extending state authority over its entire territory by its own forces alone.
Salam stressed the importance of supporting the Lebanese state in the path of recovery and reconstruction in the south, which contributes to stabilizing the people in their lands, restoring basic services, and strengthening the presence of state institutions.
Regarding the file of international arrangements for the post-UNIFIL phase, the Prime Minister stressed the need to avoid any security vacuum in the south, and to ensure the continued international presence carrying out monitoring and communication tasks under the umbrella of a resolution issued by the UN Security Council, in addition to stressing the importance of continuing to support the Lebanese army and strengthening its capabilities to enable it to extend state sovereignty.
On the economic level, the two sides discussed the path of financial reforms implemented by the government, and the importance of reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to restore confidence in the Lebanese economy and support the financial recovery path.
For his part, the French Minister conveyed the greetings of President Emmanuel Macron, reiterating his country’s emphasis on supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability, and its readiness to continue supporting the state and the army, and to contribute to crystallizing international arrangements for the next stage, in addition to supporting reform and reconstruction efforts.
