BEIRUT: French President Francois Hollande on a brief visit to Beirut yesterday pledged to “protect” Lebanon against threats of destabilisation caused by the deadly conflict in neighbouring Syria.
“France will spare no effort to guarantee Lebanon’s independence, unity and security,” Hollande said at a joint news conference with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman.
France is determined “to oppose with all its strength any bid to destabilise,” Lebanon, he added.
“Lebanon must be protected,” against any fallout from the conflict in Syria where more than 36,000 people have been killed since an uprising against the regime erupted in mid-March 2011, according to monitors.
Sleiman said at the news conference that he reaffirmed to Hollande “Lebanon’s commitment to avoid the negative repercussions of the (Syrian) crisis”.
After his lightening visit to Beirut, the French leader flew to Saudi Arabia for talks with King Abdullah on Syria and Iran, before attending an Asia-Europe summit in Laos to talk trade at a time of economic crisis.
But security issues and politics topped the agenda of his talks with Sleiman in Beirut, at a time when Lebanon has been reeling from the effects of the deadly conflict that has shaken Syria since mid-March 2011.
AFP
