France’s President Emmanuel Macron became one of the first major international leaders to officially visit Lebanon’s newly elected president Joseph Aoun on Friday in Beirut, France24 reported.
Aoun was elected on January 9 after more than two years of a political vacuum in the country’s leadership. Aoun has chosen Nawaf Salam as prime minister-designate.
Macron is also expected to meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Lebanon’s capital on January 26 to fully implement a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah.
Friday’s visit is about “helping” Aoun and Salam “consolidate Lebanon’s sovereignty, ensure its prosperity, and maintain its unity,” Macron told journalists.
Analysts have suggested that Hezbollah’s war with Israel has weakened the Iran-backed group, allowing the Lebanese political class to elect Aoun and to back Salam’s appointment.