Hollande Announces October Visit to Lebanon, Expresses Sympathy over its Refugee Burden

W460

French President Francois Hollande highlighted the “difficult” responsibilities Lebanon has to endure over the huge number of refugees it is harboring, reported the daily An Nahar on Monday.

He expressed his understanding over the burden it is supporting, revealing that he “will travel to Beirut in October.”

He did not specify the date of his trip.

The French president made his remarks to the daily from New York where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly.

Furthermore, Hollande stressed the importance of the election of a new president in Lebanon.

He had discussed on Sunday the presidential vacuum with Prime Minister Tammam Salam, who is also in New York.

A source close to the French president told An Nahar: “European officials will exert new efforts in cooperation with Iran and Saudi Arabia in order to resolve this crisis.”

It remarked however that all officials Salam is discussing the presidential deadlock with are linking the fate of this file to the developments in Syria.

The country has been without a head of state since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of a successor.

Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise candidate have thwarted the polls.

Comments 2
Missing humble 28 September 2015, 10:45

France is always welcome to Lebanon.

Missing peace 28 September 2015, 19:40

poor hollande: no lebanese president to welcome him...