Lebanon said Wednesday it had received an invitation from France for a meeting to prepare for an international conference on support for the Lebanese army, an event postponed by the Middle East war.<\/p>\n
The conference in Paris was supposed to take place in March but was delayed after militant group Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the regional war by attacking Israel in support of its backer Iran.<\/p>\n
Lebanon said in a statement Wednesday that President Joseph Aoun had \u201creceived from the French charge d\u2019affaires in Lebanon, Bruno Da Silva, a letter from French President Emmanuel Macron that included an invitation for Lebanon to participate in a preparatory meeting to be held in Paris on September 17\u201d.<\/p>\n
Aoun thanked Macron for the invitation, praising \u201cthe constant interest he shows towards Lebanon and its national institutions, foremost among them the army and the Internal Security Forces\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said the invitation highlighted the importance of \u201csupporting the Lebanese army with the aim of enabling it to possess the capabilities and resources necessary to carry out its responsibilities effectively\u201d.<\/p>\n
The army \u201crequires international support and a collective effort to meet its operational needs, logistical equipment, training and capacity building\u201d, the statement by the Lebanese presidency added.<\/p>\n
Army chiefs from several countries, as well as representatives from governmental and international organisations, along with experts, are expected to attend the meeting, according to the presidency.<\/p>\n
France did not announce anything on Wednesday related to the conference.<\/p>\n
In February, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot visited Lebanon to prepare for the event.<\/p>\n
Beirut received pledges of international support for its troops after Lebanon\u2019s government committed to disarming Hezbollah last year and tasked the army with the process.<\/p>\n
Hezbollah has been weakened by over a year of hostilities with Israel, which a November 2024 ceasefire sought to end, although the fighting has not been completely halted.<\/p>\n
Lebanon and Israel have since entered US-sponsored direct talks in an effort to end hostilities. In June they signed a framework agreement that calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region, starting in \u201cpilot zones\u201d.<\/p>\n
But the Lebanese military faces major challenges amid a shortage of equipment, personnel, and technical capabilities necessary to carry out its mission.<\/p>\n
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