Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam received at the Grand Serail the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot, and the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Armed Forces, Alice Ruffaut, at the head of an accompanying delegation, in the presence of the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Patrick Durel. During the meeting, in which the Minister of Culture, Dr. Ghassan Salamé, participated, they discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, where President Salam appreciated France’s continued support for Lebanon, especially its efforts aimed at achieving complete Israeli withdrawal from its lands, and extending the state’s authority over its entire territory by its own forces alone. He also stressed the importance of supporting the Lebanese state in the path of return, recovery and reconstruction in the south, which contributes to stabilizing the people in their land, restoring basic services, and strengthening the presence of state institutions. The discussion dealt with international arrangements for the post-UNIFIL phase, as President Salam stressed the need to avoid any vacuum in the south, and to ensure the continued international presence to undertake the tasks of monitoring, informing and communicating, under the umbrella of a resolution issued by the UN Security Council. Also, the importance of continuing to support the Lebanese Army and strengthening its capabilities to enable it to carry out its tasks in extending state authority over its entire territory was stressed. Regarding the economic issue, the meeting discussed the path of financial and economic reforms implemented by the government, and the importance of reaching a program with the International Monetary Fund, which contributes to restoring confidence in the Lebanese economy and supporting the recovery path. For his part, Minister Barrow conveyed the greetings of French President Emmanuel Macron, reaffirming France’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability, and its readiness to continue supporting the Lebanese state and the army, contribute to crystallizing international arrangements for the post-UNIFIL phase, and support reform, recovery and reconstruction efforts.