France, Lebanon and Jordan discuss military aid and southern Lebanon security
The French president’s office said international assistance would depend on a credible and workable deployment plan for Lebanon’s armed forces. The discussions aimed to review that framework and establish the basis for support through funding, equipment and training.
French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Jordan’s King Abdullah II for the meeting. In a statement on X, Macron said the objective was to strengthen Lebanon’s sovereignty and its ability to take responsibility for security throughout its territory.
Paris est aujourd’hui le lieu où nos partenaires se réunissent pour renforcer la souveraineté du Liban et lui permettre d’assurer pleinement sa sécurité.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) September 17, 2026
Un Liban en paix, c’est un espoir qui renaît pour tout le Moyen-Orient. Un Liban souverain et stable, c’est un pas décisif… pic.twitter.com/xAa8zLyTsh
He emphasized the army’s role in extending the authority of the Lebanese state, saying France, Lebanon and Jordan were working closely with the U.S., Saudi Arabia and other international partners. Macron also linked a stable Lebanon to broader regional peace and security.
The discussions brought together two related issues: the Lebanese army’s deployment and the future of the international security presence in the south. Financial and technical assistance would support the army’s responsibilities, while diplomatic work is underway on arrangements to follow the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL.
During a separate bilateral meeting, Macron and Aoun reviewed progress on proposals for the UN Security Council concerning the future international presence in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese president’s office.
UNIFIL has operated since 1978. Its approaching departure has placed greater attention on the arrangements that would follow and the Lebanese army’s capacity to assume a larger security role.
The Lebanese president’s office said Aoun and Macron also discussed Israeli attacks on Lebanese towns and villages and efforts to halt them.
Aoun additionally stressed the importance of holding a conference on Lebanon’s reconstruction. Macron had sought to organize that gathering alongside a conference supporting the Lebanese armed forces, but both were postponed following the outbreak of hostilities earlier this year.
Reconstruction and support for the army remain pressing issues for Lebanon, which has faced a prolonged financial crisis since 2019 alongside the effects of successive rounds of conflict.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that Finland became the latest Nordic country to join France’s initiative on the European dimension of nuclear deterrence, following Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
