Macron, King Abdullah II, and Aoun open international conference to support the Lebanese army in Paris

French President Emmanuel Macron received Jordanian King Abdullah II and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in a preparatory meeting before they opened the “Aqaba Track” conference to rally international support for the Lebanese Army, which is facing financial difficulties, and to support its deployment across all of Lebanese territory, paving the way for the disarmament of Hezbollah and the withdrawal of Israel. The conference also discussed forming a new force to replace the long-standing United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.

The three leaders held a joint meeting in Paris on Thursday morning, prior to the opening of an “operational” meeting that included senior military officials from their countries and several participating nations, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Élysée Palace clarified that the objective is to examine a “deployment plan” for the Lebanese Armed Forces based on a “clear, credible, and realistic plan.” The French presidency sought to clarify the “context, criteria, and mechanisms of this operation” as a prerequisite for the army to receive “very strong and operational” support from the international community, whether in the form of financial aid, equipment, or training.

Amid low salaries and a shortage of equipment, the Lebanese Army faces difficulties in carrying out its mission to disarm Hezbollah, which is deployed in various areas of Lebanon. Israel conditions any withdrawal of its forces from the territories it occupies in southern Lebanon on the prior disarmament of this Iran-aligned group.