France Urges All Lebanese Parties to Respect International Legitimacy

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has expressed concern to Premier Najib Miqati on the latest attacks on UNIFIL and urged all Lebanese sides to respect Security Council resolutions, including 1701, French diplomatic sources said.

The sources told An Nahar daily that during his meeting with Miqati on the sidelines of the “Friends of Libya” conference on Thursday, Juppe condemned the bombing attacks on UNIFIL troops on May 27 and July 26.

In a meeting with French ambassadors at the end of their 19th conference, Juppe said that he held talks with Miqati. He stressed that Lebanon should benefit from the freedom atmosphere in the region and consolidate coexistence.

Meanwhile, sources close to the prime minister said that Miqati also held talks with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the foreign ministers of Turkey and Kuwait, respectively Ahmet Davutoglu and Sheikh Mohammed al-Sabah, and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman.

The sources said that Miqati informed Ban about Lebanon’s commitment to international resolutions. “I won’t allow Lebanon to fall out of international legitimacy.”

Informed sources also told As Safir newspaper that Miqati stressed during his meetings in Paris that Lebanon wants to stay neutral on the situation in Syria but said Lebanon won’t confront the international community if it decides to take more measures against the regime.