PARIS (Reuters) – Major powers will try to shore up Lebanon’s stability on Friday by pushing Saudi Arabia and Iran to stop interfering in its politics, and urging Hezbollah to rein in its regional activities, diplomats said.
Lebanon plunged into crisis on Nov. 4 when Saad al-Hariri resigned as prime minister while he was in Saudi Arabia, saying he feared assassination and criticizing the Saudis’ regional arch-rival Iran along with its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.
After international pressure and negotiations between Lebanese political factions, he rescinded his resignation on Tuesday and his coalition government, which includes Hezbollah, reaffirmed a state policy of staying out of conflicts in Arab states.
The International Lebanon Support Group (GIS), a body that includes the five members of the U.N. Security Council – Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – meets in Paris on Friday to try to reinforce Hariri’s hand to prevent a new escalation.
France’s Macron says external powers must stop interfering in Lebanon
Highlighting the difficulties of upholding such a policy, Hezbollah backed calls on Thursday for a new Palestinian uprising in reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Those attending Friday’s meeting are also set to back efforts to strengthen the Lebanese army and set up an investment conference for Lebanon once legislative elections take place.
“Work needs to be done to consolidate Lebanon’s institutions starting with the army because for the disassociation policy to work Lebanon must be able to protect its own borders and not have a militia doing so,” the second diplomat said.
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