France envoy urges Lebanon to pick president

France's special envoy on Friday said it was urgent for Lebanon to elect a president, after a parliamentary vote to end over two years without a head of state was announced for January.

Jean-Yves Le Drian's visit to Lebanon follows a fragile ceasefire to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

"I came to Lebanon immediately after the ceasefire announcement to signal France's support for its full implementation and to stress the urgent need, more than ever, to elect a president and restart the institutional process," he told AFP on Friday.

He said he was in support of Thursday's announcement by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri of a presidential election to be held on 9 January.

Lebanon has been without a president since Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022, with neither of the two main blocs -- Hezbollah and its opponents -- having the majority required to elect one.

However, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said in a wartime speech that Hezbollah would "bring an effective contribution to the election of a president".

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Wednesday he hoped the ceasefire agreement would mark "a new page for Lebanon", calling for a swift presidential election.

Le Drian held talks with Lebanese officials and foreign diplomats from the United States, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt -- countries working to address Lebanon's presidential crisis.

The special envoy has visited Lebanon several times since being appointed to the position by French President Emmanuel Macron in June 2023.