PARIS, 19 August 2026 (TON): Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has received invitation letter from French President Emmanuel Macron through the French charge d’affaires in Lebanon, Bruno Da Silva for Lebanon to participate in a preparatory meeting to be held in Paris on 17 September 2026. Army chiefs from several countries, as well as representatives from governmental and international organizations, along with experts, are expected to attend the meeting.
The invitation from France is for a meeting to prepare for an international conference on support for the Lebanese army by France, an event that was to take place in March but postponed due to the Middle East war.
France along with other nations will train Lebanese military, its security forces and its national institutions with the aim of enabling them to possess the capabilities and resources necessary to carry out its responsibilities effectively.
The Lebanese army will be provided with international collective support to meet its operational needs, logistical equipment, training and capacity building. This arrangement would allow the foreign troops and advisors to remain in Lebanon and Middle Eastern region as occupation armies for indefinite period.