The French Minister of the Armies, Sébastien Lecornu, on tour in the Gulf, declared Tuesday in Abu Dhabi that he had discussed with his counterparts in the region the need to support the army in Lebanon, where Israel has been in open war against Hezbollah since the end september. “There is no better solution at this stage than to comply with Resolution 1701 [de l’Organisation des Nations unies] and to support the Lebanese armed forces”Sébastien Lecornu told Agence France-Presse, at a time when diplomatic efforts are intensifying to achieve a ceasefire.
The UN resolution made it possible to end the previous war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. It stipulates that only the Lebanese army and UNIFIL peacekeepers are deployed on the southern border of Lebanon, adjoining northern Lebanon. Israel, withdrawing Hezbollah fighters towards areas further north, but also that of Israeli soldiers from Lebanese territory.
Before the United Arab Emirates, where he met on Tuesday the president, Mohammed Ben Zayed, and his minister responsible for defense, Mr. Lecornu visited Qatar and Saudi Arabia. “I reiterated to each counterpart that we need them to support the Lebanese armed forces, both in the central role they play in social matters and in the security aspect”he added, believing that he “it will be necessary to imagine more operational support on the military ground”.
The French minister's tour in the Gulf comes while the American president's special envoy, Amos Hochstein, was visiting Lebanon on Tuesday, to try to obtain a ceasefire agreement, based on the application of resolution 1701. But “to enable the security of the border between Israel and Lebanon, and to strengthen the sovereignty of Lebanon, the armed forces must be truly armed! »said M. Lecornu.
Related News :