The Presidency of the Republic has announced that the Lebanese Army support conference will be held in Paris on March 5, following two visits by French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian and consultations with countries expected to contribute to strengthening the military institution.

The decision to set the date reflects Lebanese diplomatic efforts with France and other international partners.

The idea for the conference was first proposed after the ceasefire agreement on November 27, 2024, which called for the deployment of the Lebanese Army to the southern border.

Meeting between Berri and Le Drian in Ain al-Tineh (Houssam Shbaro).

The meeting of the Quintet Committee representatives - including French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, Saudi envoy Prince Yazid bin Farhan, and Qatar’s Assistant Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Thani - along with the Quintet ambassadors, reaffirmed international and Arab support for the Lebanese Army in fulfilling its missions. This support focuses particularly on arms control and providing the necessary assistance, including equipment and other resources, to enable the army to carry out its duties effectively.

Countries that had been hesitant to participate in the conference following the preparatory meeting in Paris on December 18 last year are now expected to take part and provide support for the Lebanese Army.

This shift comes in light of the army’s progress in completing its mission south of the Litani River and its leadership’s public call for assistance in the first phase of arms control.

During his visit to Beirut on December 9, Jean-Yves Le Drian announced a preparatory meeting in Paris, attended by representatives from the United States and Saudi Arabia, alongside Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal.

Although the preparatory meeting did not set a specific date for the conference, pending the army’s statement on the first phase, it laid the foundational groundwork for the upcoming army support conference.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with members of the Quintet Committee.

Which countries will be participating in the conference?

No participation has yet been confirmed from countries outside the Quintet - the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar - but Paris and the Quintet members will coordinate with interested nations to ensure the broadest possible support for the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces.

Notably, enthusiasm among certain countries to support the Lebanese Army has increased following the leadership’s announcement that the first phase of the arms control plan south of the Litani had been successfully completed. The government has since tasked the army with drafting a plan for arms control north of the Litani, which is expected to be presented to the cabinet during a session scheduled for February 5.

At this stage, support for the Lebanese Army will focus primarily on providing the resources needed to implement the arms control plan, rather than supplying specific defensive or offensive weaponry to retaliate or prevent Israeli strikes. During one of his visits to Lebanon last summer, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack emphasized that the army should be properly equipped and trained “as a peacekeeping force, not as an offensive military force.”

In any case, the planned army support conference in Paris is not the first of its kind. France previously organized a similar virtual conference in 2021, amid Lebanon’s worsening financial crisis, with French, Italian, and international cooperation. That effort provided the army with urgent aid totaling tens of millions of dollars.