Paris: Juppe in Lebanon in May, Aoun an Obstacle to Cabinet Formation

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe is scheduled to pay a visit to Lebanon on May 13-14, a French source told pan-Arab al-Hayat daily on Tuesday.

“Lebanon should be a free and sovereign country and become an example in the region due to its dynamic democratic institutions and peaceful coexistence among sects,” Juppe said in his statement during the “Arab Spring” symposium held at the Arab World Institute on Saturday.

France believes that Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati is determined to form the new cabinet but he is facing the main obstacle of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun’s demands, al-Hayat said.

French sources told the daily that Hizbullah is also keen on the formation of the government but it is facing Aoun’s demands for a large share in the new cabinet.

Paris warned that the current political vacuum could lead to a deterioration in the economic situation in the country and would pressure Lebanon into speeding up the payment of its national debt.