Report: French-Lebanese Leadership Ties Remain Frozen

Relations between the French and Lebanese leaderships have been frozen over President Nicolas Sarkozy’s rejection to invite Premier Najib Miqati to Paris as long as his government hasn’t implement its international commitments yet, high-ranking sources in Paris said.

The sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Friday that Lebanon’s international commitments include the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon that is set to try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s suspected assassins.

They said Paris is frustrated from the Lebanese authorities’ inaction in the kidnapping of Syrian opposition members in Lebanon.

The report came after Interior Minister Marwan Charbel held talks with his French counterpart Claude Gueant in Paris.

The National News Agency quoted Charbel as saying that he discussed with Gueant French support for the Interior Security Forces, General Security and Civil Service Department.

“We discussed the security situation in Lebanon and confirmed to Minister Gueant that (the situation) is stable,” he said.

Charbel said he informed Gueant that the security situation in Lebanon would be easily influenced by the developments in the region, mainly Syria. “That’s why it is very important to stick to the government decision not to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs.”