French FM Says to Visit Lebanon to Push for 'Political Solution'

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced Tuesday that he will visit Lebanon in mid-July in a bid to push for a “political solution” in the country.

“I will visit Lebanon on July 11 and 12 and I will hold talks with all political parties,” said Ayrault at a joint press conference he held in Paris with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir.

“I hope I will be able to play a useful role so that a political solution can finally emerge and so that Lebanon can have a president,” he added.

The French minister's remarks come a day after eight suicide bombers targeted the Lebanese border town of al-Qaa in unprecedented attacks.

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, the Free Patriotic Movement and some of their allies have been boycotting the electoral sessions at parliament, stripping them of the needed quorum.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.

Hariri's move was followed by Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's endorsement of his long-time Christian foe, FPM founder MP Michel Aoun, for the presidency after a rapprochement deal was reached between their two parties.

The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid argue that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.

Y.R.