Lebanese President Joseph Aoun received an invitation from Emmanuel Macron to attend a preparatory meeting for a conference aimed at securing international support for Lebanon’s army and Internal Security Forces.
The invitation was conveyed during Aoun’s meeting with Bruno Pereira da Silva, France’s chargé d’affaires in Lebanon. According to a statement from the Lebanese presidency, the meeting is scheduled to take place in Paris on September 17.
Support for Lebanon’s security institutions
The preparatory meeting will address how international support can provide the Lebanese army with the resources and capacity it needs to carry out its duties more effectively.
The support plan includes logistics equipment, training and capacity-building. The assistance is expected to be shaped according to the Lebanese army’s priorities, action plan and needs.
The invitation noted that the Internal Security Forces, alongside the Lebanese army, also bear responsibility for the country’s security. Strengthening the force’s capabilities was described as a step that would help the army focus more on its priority missions.
Date of conference has not been finalized
Commanders of the armed forces of various countries, as well as representatives of intergovernmental organizations and experts, are expected to attend the preparatory meeting in Paris. No official date has yet been set for the international conference itself.
The conference had previously been scheduled for March 5, 2026. The meeting was postponed to April because of regional developments and the effects of the war between the United States and Iran on the region.
Lebanese army deployment across the country
The Lebanese army is expected to deploy throughout the country, including the southern regions and areas in the Bekaa Valley where it had not previously been present. The plan is linked to the goal of making the army the country’s sole armed force within the framework of domestic decisions and external understandings.
Aoun thanked Macron for the invitation and for his continued interest in Lebanon and its national institutions. He said this interest was directed toward the country’s institutions, particularly the army and Internal Security Forces.
Attacks continue despite framework agreement with Israel
The statement said that a framework agreement was signed between Tel Aviv and Beirut under U.S. auspices on June 26. It added that Israel had continued the attacks that it said began on March 2.
The same statement said that 4,335 people had been killed and 12,277 injured in the conflict. The framework agreement provides for Israel’s phased withdrawal from the occupied areas in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army there and the disarmament of armed groups.
The statement referred to Hezbollah in this context. It alleged that Israel has held various areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades, established control over additional areas during its attacks in 2023-2024, and advanced more than 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory during its latest attacks.
