Le Drian meets with key Lebanese figures on 'consultative' mission

French President Emmanuel Macron's envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian met Thursday with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.

Le Drian had arrived Wednesday in Beirut to end a political impasse that has left the country without a president for more than seven months.

His visit comes a week after Lebanese lawmakers failed for a 12th time to elect a new president, drawing condemnation from the international community.

Le Drian would discuss the crisis during meetings with officials, party heads and other politicians.

"This is a consultative mission... to ensure the country moves on from the political impasse," Le Drian told reporters.

He said he was holding "the necessary talks with all players in order to immediately end the political deadlock".

On Wednesday he met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Berri said the talks were "good and honest."

After meeting Mikati at the Grand Serail on Thursday, Le Drian said he is in Lebanon to explore the situation in order to help in finding solutions and that he will discuss with different parties how to achieve the desired solution.

Le Drian is a political heavyweight who served as foreign minister throughout Macron's first mandate and previously as defense minister.

He was appointed France's special envoy to Lebanon earlier this month by President Macron.

The former foreign minister was tasked with holding talks with all those able to "contribute to finding a way out of this impasse", the French presidency said at the time.

A French diplomatic source told AFP Le Drian hopes his visit will be a "catalyst" for solving Lebanon's leadership vacuum.

Le Drian would not push for a certain option like the election of a certain candidate but would rather urge all parties to talk to each other, media reports said.

"I don't have any proposals, but I am here to listen," he said after meeting al-Rahi in Bkerki.

"It's a visit of consultations, of listening, and attention," he added.

Le Drian stressed President Macron's "special affection" for Lebanon. "This is why he has sent me," the French envoy said, adding that "there will be other visits."

The international community has long urged Beirut to elect a new leader capable of enacting reforms crucial to unlock billions of dollars in loans to save its flailing economy.

Macron visited Lebanon, formerly a French mandate, immediately after a deadly 2020 Beirut blast to urge leaders into radical reform.

Multiple attempts spearheaded by Paris to extricate the country out of its financial and political woes have ended in failure.

Earlier this month, Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called for a "rapid end to the institutional political vacuum in Lebanon".

Le Drian, whose last official visit to Beirut was in 2021 as foreign minister to pressure Lebanese leaders into forming a government, is also set to meet Marada leader and presidential candidate Suleiman franjieh, Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil, Hezollah MP Mohammad Raad, and former minister Ziad Baroud who got 6 votes in the latest presidential election.

Le Drian will also likely meet with Army chief, who had been proposed as a third-man solution, General Joseph Aoun.

"The most important thing is to start the negotiation process," said analyst Michael Young from the Carnegie Middle East Center, noting the importance of both local and regional players.

He said "a package deal" could involve the nomination of not only a president but also a prime minister, a central bank governor and an army chief later this year.

France has issued an arrest warrant for embattled central bank chief Riad Salameh over accusations including money laundering.

Salameh, whose mandate ends next month, denies the accusations.

Pro-Hezbollah daily al-Akhbar on Thursday predicted a prolonged presidential vacuum and said there were "no great hopes for Le Drian's visit".