A wide range of meetings is being overseen by Saudi Foreign Minister’s adviser Prince Yazid bin Farhan with Lebanese officials, as part of efforts launched by the Kingdom at both the regional and international levels and now being pursued domestically under the banner of consolidating the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, in which Saudi Arabia’s imprint was clearly evident.

The aim is to move toward launching a negotiation process for a lasting peace with Israel that, according to the Saudi view, would in turn bring stability to the region, provided that its core condition is met: the withdrawal of all illegal weapons and the restoration of the Lebanese state’s authority and its exclusive control over arms in the hands of legitimate military and security institutions.

Saudi Arabia also played a prominent role in coordinating with Iran on the Lebanese file, particularly in separating it from the Iranian American negotiations, as part of efforts to prevent Lebanon from being used as a bargaining chip or an obstruction tool.

In Paris, Prince bin Farhan held meetings with French officials, most notably with presidential envoy Jean Yves Le Drian, focusing on two main points: preserving France’s role in Lebanon in the next phase, particularly after the end of the mandate of the international peacekeeping forces in the south and the need to fill the gap by developing a proposal to form a multinational force, and preparing for a conference to support the Lebanese army.

These issues were also discussed in Lebanon, where he met in the morning with the President of the Republic and in the evening with the Prime Minister, within the framework of efforts to consolidate the ceasefire agreement and strengthen civil peace, which is an absolute priority for the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, contacts were noted between Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, during which Berri expressed thanks to the Kingdom for its efforts. This followed a visit by MP Ali Hassan Khalil to Riyadh representing the Speaker.

Information also indicated that the meeting between Berri and the Saudi envoy was positive and productive, pointing to ongoing efforts to unify the official Lebanese position on the negotiation file, in which Berri plays a central role.

As for preparations for a conference to support the army, information indicates that nothing concrete has been finalized yet and no date has been set, pending the outcome of the negotiations and the durability of the ceasefire. However, French President Emmanuel Macron announced in this context that his country is preparing for the conference and is also ready, as he told the Prime Minister during his visit to Paris, to help rebuild areas in the south damaged by the war.

Diplomatic sources following developments told Annahar that Saudi interest in Lebanon remains ongoing, with a clear commitment to upholding the Taif Agreement and not altering it. The sources expressed satisfaction with the performance of the government led by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and voiced optimism about the next phase, while noting that this optimism is tempered by caution and depends on Lebanon’s commitment to fulfilling its pledges, particularly with regard to weapons.

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