Italy and France agree on coalition to support Lebanon

Italy and France have agreed to create a coalition to support Lebanon after the completion of the UN Interim Force.

This was reported by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

"In the situation of the crisis in Lebanon, Italy and France can play a decisive role. The UN mission (UN Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL - TASS note) ends at the end of the year, and we decided to create a coalition to support Lebanon and develop a post-UNIFIL plan," Meloni said at a press conference after the conclusion of the bilateral intergovernmental summit in the French Antibes, which was also attended by the country's president Emmanuel Macron.

She added that an international conference dedicated to Lebanon will be held in the near future.

According to her, the main task is "to guarantee security in such an important region." "Italy and France have always been present in Lebanon, and therefore it is quite natural that our countries will lead the international mission. We will not start from scratch. It is important to preserve the main goal - to guarantee the Lebanese authorities a monopoly on control over the territory. A clear and structured mandate is needed, something that UNIFIL may have lacked," Meloni explained.