French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius informed Prime Minister Tammam Salam on Sunday that the first shipment of French weapons, part of a $3 billion Saudi deal, is expected to arrive in Lebanon in April.
Fabius's statement was made during a meeting with Salam on the sidelines of the 51st Munich Security Conference.
“France is keen to support Lebanon and safeguards its security, stability and unity and fortify its state institutions,” Fabius told the Lebanese PM.
Saudi Arabia last year announced it would give the Lebanese army $3 billion to purchase weapons and equipment from France, but that deal has yet to be fully implemented.
In August, the kingdom offered another $1 billion in funds to allow the army to purchase supplies immediately.
For his part, Salam expressed gratitude to Fabius on the efforts carried out by France to facilitate the election of a new president in Lebanon as the FM stressed that Paris “will continue its endeavors to reach a positive result in this regard.”