French President reaffirms his country's continued support for Lebanon's stability and economic recovery

Beirut, July 30 (KUNA) -- French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed today, Thursday, that his country will continue to support Lebanon, granting absolute priority to its stability and safeguarding its sovereignty, particularly in the areas of supporting the army and reconstruction. The office of the media at the Lebanese Parliament issued a statement saying this came during a phone call received by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri from President Macron, in which they discussed developments in Lebanon and the region. The statement noted that the two sides also discussed recent political and field developments amid the continued aggression by Israeli occupation forces and the systematic destruction of southern villages and towns. The statement added that the French president emphasized his country’s readiness, along with friendly nations, to “support Lebanon in order to overcome the delicate phase it is going through.” For his part, Berri stressed the need to make exceptional international efforts to compel the Israeli occupation to halt its aggression and withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories up to the international border, expressing his gratitude to France and its president for consistently standing by Lebanon. The Lebanese Parliament Speaker highlighted the importance of the deployment of the Lebanese army and the return of residents to their towns as a prelude to launching a reconstruction workshop, while also stressing the necessity of maintaining the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and its role in the full implementation of international resolutions. On the financial and economic front, Berri affirmed to the French president that Parliament is diligently working to approve all required reform legislation to finalize the agreement with the International Monetary Fund. (End) F.Z. / M.A.A.