Pietton Meets Miqati, Discusses PM’s Upcoming Trip to Paris

French Ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton held talks on Tuesday with Prime Minister Najib Miqati on the latter’s upcoming trip to Paris.

He said after the meeting that the “finishing touches” were added to his agenda and the preparations that will be made for this “important trip.”

Miqati was invited to visit France by his French counterpart Francois Fillon.

He is expected to also meet with President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Miqati is expected to travel to France in February.

Pietton also offered his condolences to the families who lost relatives in Sunday’s Ashrafieyh building collapse that killed 27 people.

Addressing Lebanon’s report on the 2010 Ethiopian plane crash, the ambassador remarked that he was not surprised by it, adding that the most important thing for the him and families that lost loved ones in the accident is for the truth to be revealed.

Pietton lost his wife in the crash.

Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi revealed on Tuesday that the probe in the plane crash off the Lebanese coast, in which all 90 people on board died, points to a pilot error.

“The truth is in the Lebanese report, the pilot is completely responsible for the plane crash,” the minister said during a press conference held at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International airport.

Ethiopian Airlines rejected the official Lebanese probe, saying the crash was likely caused by sabotage, a lightning strike or was shot down.

"The aircraft disintegrated in the air due to explosion, which could have been caused by a shoot-down, sabotage or lightning strike," Desta Zeru, vice president of flight operations for Ethiopian Airlines, said in a statement.

The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800 went down minutes after taking off from Beirut international airport, killing 83 passengers and seven crew members.