French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he held lengthy discussions with both President Joseph Aoun and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, stressing that France is participating in these discussions “on an equal footing” and within a new partnership that Lebanon and Syria seek to establish.
In a post on the “X” platform, Macron stated that this stage represents a “historic opportunity” for the two countries, which, as he said, have suffered for many years from regional crises and security tensions.
He added that President Aoun, with the support of Nawaf Salam’s government and the Lebanese Armed Forces, faces “with courage and honor” the threats targeting Lebanon, its security and its unity. He believed that Hezbollah made a “serious mistake” when it brought Lebanon into the confrontation with Israel, and demanded that the attacks stop immediately.
On the other hand, the French President stressed the need for Israel to clearly abandon any ground attack on Lebanon, in light of the ongoing military escalation in the region.
Macron also pointed out that President Al-Sharaa supports the efforts of the Lebanese authorities to impose state control over its entire territory, considering that this position represents a clear break with the past and paves the way for “sound and constructive” relations between Lebanon and Syria.
The French President stressed that the coordination initiated by the highest authorities in Lebanon and Syria is considered an essential step at this stage, stressing that he will continue to support this diplomatic path, with the three leaders agreeing to remain in constant contact to follow developments.
On Wednesday evening, President Aoun held a tripartite call with Presidents Al-Sharaa and Macron, devoted to consultation on the current situation in Lebanon and the region in light of the rapid security developments.
During the call, the three presidents evaluated field developments and the current escalation in the region, and agreed to keep communication open between them to follow developments and coordinate on the next steps.
This diplomatic move comes at a time of escalating regional tensions, especially with fears of their spillover to the Lebanese-Syrian border. There were reports of artillery shells falling near the town of Sarghaya, west of Damascus, and the Syrian Army Operations Authority said that they came from Lebanese territory.
The Syrian news agency SANA also reported that the shells targeted Syrian army positions near the town and fell inside Syrian territory, coinciding with the arrival of military reinforcements to the Lebanese-Syrian border, while the Syrian military command continues to monitor the field situation.
In this context, reports spoke of ongoing communication between the Lebanese and Syrian armies to discuss measures to prevent deterioration of the situation on the common border.
These developments indicate increasing fears that the Lebanese-Syrian border will become an additional hotbed of tension, in light of the ongoing military escalation in the region, which makes the tripartite contact between Beirut, Damascus, and Paris part of political and diplomatic efforts to contain tension and prevent its expansion.
