BEIRUT: French President Francois Hollande conveyed his country’s readiness to help end Lebanon’s 11-month presidential deadlock to the Maronite patriarch Tuesday, and reiterated France’s support for the Lebanese Army.
The National News Agency reported that Hollande spoke to Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai of the deep bonds betweenLebanon and France, voicing his country’s readiness to launch international initiatives to help accelerate the election of a Lebanese president.
At an hourlong meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Hollande stressed to Rai that France would not meddle in Lebanon’s internal affairs, but believed that the election of a president would help restore the normal functioning of the country’s constitutional institutions. The French president added that his country would continue to stand by Lebanon and support the Army against terrorism.