France Hosts International Meeting on Lebanon Friday

France will host the International Lebanon Support Group at the Quai d'Orsay on Friday at the level of foreign ministers to discuss the political crisis that emerged in in the country, An Nahar daily reported on Monday.

Lebanon's delegation will be led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri and French Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian will lead the French side, it added.

The meeting will be attended by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France in addition to Germany, Italy and Egypt, the UN General Secretariat, the European Union and the League of Arab States, added the daily.

Diplomatic sources expect the participation of foreign ministers: US Rex Tillerson, Russian Sergei Lavrov, United Kingdom Boris Johnson, German Sigmar Gabriel, Italian Angelino Alfano, Egyptian Sameh Shukri, EU Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini as well as representatives of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Arab League.

Paris is adamant in helping find a solution for the crisis that emerged in Lebanon following Hariri's resignation, and is keen on ensuring an international cover to safeguard the country's stability in light of the regional conflicts surrounding it.

It has urged Lebanese parties to adhere to the “dissociation policy” and distance Lebanon from the battles raging around it.

France has also called on Hizbullah to lay down its weapons and respect the sovereignty of Lebanon in line with the UN Security Resolutions.