On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian held talks in Beirut with Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and is expected to meet other officials.
The guest minister’s talks focus on the obstacles that prevent the formation of the new government in this country and the implementation of the French initiative.
During his meeting with Le Drian, Aoun said that achieving reforms is essential for the advancement of Lebanon and restoring the confidence of the Lebanese and the international community.
He added that the priority in Lebanon is to form a government that enjoys the confidence of Parliament, pledging to continue efforts to form it "despite the internal and external obstacles."
Le Drian said yesterday that he carries a strongly worded message to Lebanese politicians when he visits Beirut on Thursday, warning of punitive measures against those who obstruct the political process.
Le Drian added, through his Twitter account, that the visit is an expression of France's solidarity with the Lebanese, and that his country will deal firmly with those who obstruct the formation of a new Lebanese government. "We have taken measures at the state level, and it is only a start," he said.
The minister said that the national measures would include preventing entry to French territory.
However, it is not clear the extent of the impact of such measures, as many Lebanese officials are of dual nationality and cannot be denied entry, while some of those who can be accused of obstructing the political process travel to France only rarely.
Le Drian's visit comes after Paris said it had begun taking measures restricting the entry of Lebanese officials to France, on the grounds that they were obstructing efforts to find a solution to the political and economic crisis in Lebanon.
However, no official announcement has yet been made about the measures that have already been taken, or those targeted by those measures, and French officials have refused to comment or respond to requests for more details.
France was among the participants in international efforts to save Lebanon from its worst crisis since the civil war between 1975 and 1990, but it has so far failed, after 8 months, to persuade the conflicting politicians to adopt a roadmap for reform, or to form a new government to allow international aid to be sent to the country.