Before heading to Paris, Salam discusses reforms with Jacques de Lajugie
The meeting comes two days ahead of his visit to Paris, during which he will be received by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The discussions also touched on progress made in drafting the law intended to address the country's financial deficit, one of the main reforms expected by the International Monetary Fund, according to the statement issued.
Lajugie's last visit to Lebanon was in June. Parliament could soon vote on this banking sector draft law prepared by the government, which is currently under consideration by the finance committee.
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L'Orient-Le Jour
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BEIRUT — Ahead of Tuesday's 3 p.m. Cabinet meeting on Hezbollah disarmament and following Monday night protests by Hezbollah supporters in Beirut, several politicians stressed the urgent need to disarm Hezbollah after the recent war with Israel. Nawaf Salam's government is expected to meet today at the Baabda Palace to discuss the handover of Hezbollah's arsenal. The party does not reject the principle of a debate on the state's monopoly on weapons, but conditions any disarmament on a prior Israeli withdrawal and the end of cease-fire violations, as well as the release of prisoners and the launch of reconstruction efforts after the recent war. In a video published Monday night, Hezbollah asserted that resistance was "the only choice and support for the Lebanese Army." Political contacts continued Monday night in an effort to reach a formula the government might adopt Tuesday. According to our information, the party made its participation conditional on prior knowledge of the decisions that would result from the meeting. 'Labayka Nasrallah' Protesting the Cabinet meeting on the party's disarmament, Hezbollah supporters paraded on motorcycles Monday night in several neighborhoods of Beirut's southern suburbs. Videos posted on social media show dozens of motorcyclists waving the party's yellow flags as they drove through neighborhoods in the southern suburbs, chanting "Labayka Nasrallah" (at your command, Nasrallah), in reference to the former leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, assassinated by an Israeli strike on Sept. 27, 2024. Reacting to this display, Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel called Monday night "on the security services to fulfill their responsibilities as soon as possible." 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'Collusion with the Israeli-American plan' In statements Monday night to NBN, Hezbollah MP Ali Mokdad said that the Cabinet meeting "should not have taken place" and that those calling for the party's disarmament "are in collusion with the Israeli-American plan." "By tomorrow morning, we will make a decision based on the response given to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry and Hezbollah." Sunni tribes, for their part, on Monday expressed support for the authorities and the Lebanese Army against Hezbollah. "We call for respect for the Lebanese Constitution and the Taif agreements (...) and for ensuring a monopoly of arms in the hands of the army," these tribes said in a statement. In addition, a call for a demonstration Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Riad al-Solh Square "in support of President Aoun's call for a monopoly on arms in the hands of the army" was launched by the "Free Lebanese" group. 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Hezbollah MP Kassem Hachem told the news site al-Nashra that political contacts related to the session would continue up until the final moments before the Cabinet meeting, with the aim of reaching "a consensus position" that takes Lebanon's interests into account. The international community insists on the need for the country to begin the process of reclaiming the monopoly on arms and to develop a clear implementation plan with set deadlines. Israel, believes it has achieved victory and that Lebanon, like Hezbollah, is in a position of weakness after the strikes they suffered. This means, according to Tel Aviv, that Hezbollah must make the expected concessions and that Lebanon should commit to the proposed path.
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LBCI
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