The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, stressed the need to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and rights, while receiving French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is visiting Lebanon as part of his tour of officials and political forces to follow up on current political and security developments.
The meeting was held in the presence of the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Herve Magro, and Le Drian’s advisor Jean-Claude Malle, along with a number of advisors at the French Embassy, while MP Nada Boustani from the “Free Patriotic Movement” participated.
According to a statement issued by “The Movement,” the research dealt with the latest political developments in Lebanon, especially the ongoing war, the ceasefire issue, and the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, in addition to the challenges that Lebanon faces at the various political, economic, and security levels.
The two sides also discussed international efforts aimed at supporting Lebanon’s stability and enhancing the role of its institutions, in addition to the file of financial and economic reforms demanded by the international community as a basic approach to addressing the Lebanese crisis.
The meeting also touched on Lebanese-French relations and ways to develop them during the next stage, emphasizing the importance of continuing communication and cooperation between the various parties.
During the meeting, Bassil stressed the necessity of respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and national rights in any political or negotiating path, while Le Drian listened to the vision of the “Free Patriotic Movement” regarding the current developments and the paths that he deems appropriate to address the crises that Lebanon is going through.
Bassil also handed the French envoy a document entitled “The Proposal to Protect Lebanon,” which includes the movement’s vision for approaching the next stage and the challenges related to the security and political situation.
Bassil and Le Drian’s meeting comes as part of a series of consultations conducted by the French envoy with Lebanese officials and political forces, in light of the intense diplomatic activity related to the ongoing negotiations on establishing a ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. The visit also coincides with increasing international pressure to push Lebanon towards implementing the required reforms and strengthening the role of state institutions, in parallel with research into the security and political arrangements that are supposed to accompany the next stage.
