Report: Miqati Heads Delegation to Paris on Monday
Prime Minister Najib Miqati is set to travel to Paris on Monday on a three-day visit to meet with French President Francois Hollande, his counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault and several other senior officials.
According to al-Akhbar newspaper published on Wednesday, Miqati will head an official delegation to the French capital and is expected to ink four joint cooperation agreements.
The newspaper pointed out that the PM will also tackle with Hollande stability in Lebanon and the importance of avoiding any political vacuum.
Hollande visited Lebanon on November 4, where he held talks with President Michel Suleiman and didn't meet with the PM, which sparked a storm of media speculation over the reasons.
Several local newspapers reported that Miqati's trip to Paris is being reconsidered by French authorities after Hollande “suddenly” decided to visit Beirut.
The political crisis in Lebanon deepened the gap between the March 14 opposition alliance and the March 8 coalition after the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Wissam al-Hasan on October 19.
The opposition has been calling for the resignation of Miqati's government after blaming the attack that left al-Hasan and two others dead on Syria and its March 8 coalition allies in Lebanon.
However, Hollande has continuously reiterated on senior officials to avoid any political vacuum in the country and for the cabinet to continue its tasks.
Hollande's trip to Lebanon was the first by a French president since the previous head of state, Nicolas Sarkozy, visited in June 2008.
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