Suleiman Meets Hollande, Larijani as Paris Vows to Equip Army ASAP

French President Francois Hollande on Friday promised President Michel Suleiman to start equipping the Lebanese Army with weapons “as soon as possible.”

Hollande also reiterated “Paris' commitment to supporting Lebanon” during a meeting with Suleiman in Tunisia, where they took part alongside world leaders in a ceremony celebrating the adoption of the country's new constitution.

The French leader promised to “equip the Lebanese Army with the weapons it requests under the Saudi donation as soon as possible,” according to Lebanon's National News Agency.

Suleiman also met in Tunisia with Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani and talks tackled “bilateral ties between the two countries and means to strengthen them, in addition to current situations in the region.”

Larijani stressed “the importance of security and stability in Lebanon, especially amid the critical situations that the Middle East region is going through.”

A week ago, Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji visited Saudi Arabia to discuss the kingdom's grant to the military institution.

Qahwaji traveled to Paris earlier this month for talks with top French military officials, two weeks after Suleiman announced a Saudi pledge of $3 billion to buy military equipment from France.

Hollande, who was on a visit to Saudi Arabia during Suleiman's announcement, said his country would "meet" any requests from Lebanon.

Officials concerned with Lebanese affairs in the French administration told Naharnet on Jan. 20 that the Saudi donation will include weaponry used for military and security purposes to enable troops to face terrorist and security challenges in the country, and arms and equipment to monitor the border.