Macron pledges to resume support for Lebanese government

Prime Minister Saad Hariri met on Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Following the meeting, Macron stressed that France will continue to stand by Lebanon. “France will continue support Lebanon and this will be reflected in the economic relations between the two nations,” said Macron during a joint press conference with Hariri.

 As for the Lebanese army’s latest offensive against Islamic State militants on Lebanon’s border, Macron hailed the armed forces for “their constant efforts to protect Lebanon and the Lebanese border.”  

For his part, Hariri highlighted the issue of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

 “The issue of refugees is very difficult for Lebanon and it is posing a major burden to the Lebanese economy, security and environment,” he added. Hariri had arrived to France on Thursday and held meetings with his French counterpart and the ministers of foreign affairs, economy, finance and European affairs.

France will host two economic conferences for Lebanon next year to boost the country's ailing economy, President Emmanuel Macron said Friday.

The French President made the announcement at a joint media conference with Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the Elysee Palace in Paris Friday. Macron added that he would be traveling to Lebanon next year ahead to lay the groundwork for the two conferences.

One of the two meets is set to be "Paris IV" style donor conference as a follow up to "Paris III," which saw international states come together to pledge support for Lebanon just 6-months after the 34-day 2006 war.

"We will continue to stand by Lebanon and this will be shown through economic, bilateral ties between [our] two countries," Macron said during a joint media conference with Hariri after the pair spent over an hour in private discussions.

Macron lauded the Lebanese state and its people for welcoming over 1.5 million Syrian refugees saying: "Lebanon will continue to be the first recipient of aid from France with respect to the refugee crisis, knowing that it is placing a burden on the country."

He added that Lebanon would have a role to play in the upcoming developments with concern to Syria.

"We encourage the strengthening of the Lebanese state and its institutions," Macron said, adding that the two discussed the threat of terrorism.

"I congratulate the Lebanese Army and security apparatuses that work non-stop to protect Lebanon and its borders," the French president added.

Touching on the recently renewed mandate of U.N. peacekeeping force in Leabnon, Macron reiterated his support for the organization and said that "France stood by the renewal of the mandate." France is both a major contributing country for UNIFIL and one of the permanent five members of the Security Council at the U.N.

Hariri thanked the French state for its strong participation in UNIFIL, as well as its support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others in February 2005.

"The relationship between Lebanon and France was always solid and as France was by [our] side, it will continue to be so," Hariri told reporters during the joint news conference.

Hariri voiced his belief that bilateral relations between the countries would be reinforced "especially during your [Macron’s] term."

On the refugee crisis, Hariri said that "[it] is a difficult situation for Lebanon and we have welcomed 1.5 million refugees ... and it has put a big burden on the economy, environment, security and all other sectors."

The French president said that discussions would be elaborated on when President Michel Aoun heads to Paris on an official visit on Sept. 25.

The two are expected to, among other things, discuss the Syrian refugee crisis and a scrapped weapons deal that would have seen Saudi Arabia fund a $4 billion purchase of French-manufactured arms, equipment and training for the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces.

Friday’s talks were Hariri and Macron's second meeting after newly elected French president visited Lebanon while on the campaign trail in January.

Following his meeting with Macron, Hariri met with Senate leader Gerard Larcher.

Hariri began his official visit in meeting with French Foreign and European Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and his French counterpart Edouard Philippe.

The PM also met with Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire and discussed prospects for economic cooperation between the two countries and means of developing them.

Accompanying Hariri were Lebanon’s Charge d’Affaires to France Ghadi Khoury, the premier’s chief of staff Nader Hariri and two advisers, Basil Yared and Nadim Munla.

Hariri later met Defense Minister Florence Parly Friday before concluding his official visit