French Ambassador Denies Paris Planning International Conference on Lebanon

French Ambassador to Lebanon Emmanuel Bonne denied on Tuesday media reports that said that Paris was planning on holding an international conference to resolve Lebanon's political crisis, reported LBCI television.

He told the station that a “misunderstanding” had occurred over the issue.

Bonne had stated on Monday that Paris was seeking to hold such a conference in wake of French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault's upcoming trip to Beirut.

He is scheduled to visit Lebanon on May 27.

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 due to electoral rivalry and sharp political disputes among the parties.

After a Paris meeting with ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri last year, Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh emerged as a serious presidential candidate but the proposal to nominate Franjieh was met with reservations from Lebanon's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.

Franjieh's main competitor, Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun, enjoys key support from Hizbullah and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and has refused to withdraw from the race.

M.T.

D.A.