NNA - Prime Minister, Dr. Nawaf Salam, paid an official visit to France, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron, on Thursday, at the Élysée Palace.

This was Premier Salam’s first official visit to Paris since assuming office.

During the meeting, Premier Salam outlined the challenges facing Lebanon, underlining "the Lebanese government's commitment to continuing its hard work to implement the required reforms, restore local and international confidence, and extend state authority throughout Lebanon."

For his part, the French President welcomed Premier Salam and praised "the Lebanese government's determination to move forward with the reform process," reiterating "France's steadfast support for Lebanon's sovereignty, stability, and prosperity, and for the Lebanese authorities' efforts to revive the economy and reform institutions."

President Macron indicated that his country "is preparing to hold an international conference in Paris to support Lebanon, in parallel with reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, following the approval of key reform laws, particularly in the banking and judicial sectors."

In this context, the French President informed the Prime Minister that his country "will contribute 75 million euros to the World Bank's Lebanon Emergency Assistance Project (LEAP), to support the reconstruction of areas affected by the aggression."

The two sides also stressed the importance of renewing UNIFIL's mandate and strengthening the ceasefire monitoring mechanism.

Premier Salam and President Macron jointly emphasized “the need for Israel's complete withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the cessation of all violations, and for strengthening the Lebanese Army's capabilities to enhance its exclusive role in possessing weapons and extending state authority."   

In the judicial field, the French side expressed its readiness to "provide technical and financial support for judicial reform, by dispatching an expert to the Lebanese Ministry of Justice and launching cooperation between the French National School of the Judiciary and the Institute for Judicial Studies in Lebanon."

Additionally, France reiterated its readiness to "support Lebanese-Syrian cooperation to control the shared border and provide the necessary technical support for its demarcation, leveraging its available historical archives."

 Premier Salam concluded the meeting by expressing his gratitude for "France's renewed support for Lebanon in various fields, particularly in the areas of security, economy, education, and culture," and appreciating "France's enduring commitment to Lebanon's stability and sovereignty."