Restrictive measures adopted by France against Lebanese officials allegedly responsible for the crisis in the Middle Eastern country can be supplemented with pressure from the European Union, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday
PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2021) Restrictive measures adopted by France against Lebanese officials allegedly responsible for the crisis in the middle Eastern country can be supplemented with pressure from the European Union, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday.
Le Drian is on a two-day working visit in Beirut until Saturday. The minister said he intended to deliver a "tough" message to Lebanon's political leaders.
"The measures could also be supplemented with pressure tools available to the European Union, which we have already begun to think about with our European partners. Everyone must fulfill their obligations," Le Drian told reporters.
The minister stressed that no progress has yet been made to resolve the ongoing Lebanese political crisis. In this regard, France might toughen or extend the sanctions if the situation remains the same, the diplomat added.
Lebanon is mired in a major political crisis, exacerbated by the worst financial and economic gridlock in many years. The turmoil prompted mass demonstrations in October 2019, which has since caused the resignation of two governments. The deadly blast in Beirut port last August only exacerbated the crisis.
France offered its former protectorate assistance in overcoming the crisis, but Lebanese political forces have still not reached a consensus on the composition of a new cabinet. In late April, Paris sanctioned several Lebanese officials with entry bans and asset freezes over alleged corruption and hampering the political process.
