Arab, International Momentum to Support Lebanon Kicks Off with Macron’s Visit

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the Presidential Palace (Reuters)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the Presidential Palace (Reuters)
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Arab, International Momentum to Support Lebanon Kicks Off with Macron’s Visit

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the Presidential Palace (Reuters)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the Presidential Palace (Reuters)

The election of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and the designation of Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam to form the first government of the new presidential term have drawn unprecedented Arab and international attention. This growing interest is reflected in a series of high-level visits, starting with French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Beirut on Friday.
While Spanish Foreign Minister and EU High Representative Josep Borrell visited Lebanese officials on Wednesday, coinciding with similar meetings held by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to arrive in Beirut on Saturday. Additionally, Arab and international officials are set to visit the Lebanese capital starting next week.
In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, former Lebanese Ambassador to Washington Antoine Chedid stated that Lebanon “is of great importance to the region and the world, and the changes happening in the country are part of broader regional transformations.”
“International interest in Lebanon didn’t begin today. It became evident during the recent Israeli war, when the United States, Saudi Arabia, and France played pivotal roles in achieving a ceasefire,” he remarked.
Chedid further noted that Macron’s visit will mark the start of a series of trips by international and Arab leaders expressing their firm support for Lebanon’s state institutions, including its president, government, army, and constitutional bodies.
“We are witnessing an unprecedented phase of international support for Lebanon’s presidency and state institutions,” he said. “What matters now is for Lebanon to embrace this support positively.”
Former minister Rashid Derbas highlighted that international attention to Lebanon “clearly indicates that the country has moved past its state of unrest and security disruptions and is no longer a platform for undermining regional stability.”
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Derbas said: “Macron’s visit, followed by the arrival of Arab and global leaders, restores confidence among Lebanese citizens. Electing a president and forming a government has reignited hope.”
He added: “This renewed openness paves the way for assisting Lebanon in investing in stability, development, and conflict resolution, steering the country away from chaos and disorder.”
Derbas stressed that certain factions, “particularly the Shiite duo, have failed to recognize regional changes and shifting power dynamics, clinging instead to rhetoric that clouds their judgment.”
He criticized their rejection of past opportunities, stating: “When the Shiite duo had strong leverage in choosing the president and forming the government, they dismissed all proposals, squandering opportunities until external forces imposed decisions on them.”
Derbas expressed hope for an end to the cycle of missed opportunities and constitutional violations, which he said have “isolated Lebanon from its allies under the pretext of sovereignty, while maintaining a rhetoric about liberating Palestine and weakening Israel.”
The decision by the Shiite duo (Amal Movement and Hezbollah) to boycott non-binding consultations has cast a shadow over the atmosphere as international and Arab officials prepare to visit Lebanon. Political analyst Toufic Hindi warned that the duo’s choice to boycott consultations “sends a discouraging message and does not align with the will of the Lebanese people or the intentions of Lebanon’s Arab and international allies.”
Hindi praised Aoun’s inaugural speech, describing it as “a source of hope for the Lebanese people and a signal of reassurance for the international community.” Similarly, he commended Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam for outlining a clear framework for state-building during his speech at the presidential palace.

 

 

 



Syria Is at a Crossroads: It Can Return to Violence or Transition to Peace, Says UN Envoy 

A member of Syria's security forces mans a gun in the back of a truck during the funeral of three people killed in Israeli strikes a day earlier, in the southern town of Daraa on March 18, 2025. (AFP)
A member of Syria's security forces mans a gun in the back of a truck during the funeral of three people killed in Israeli strikes a day earlier, in the southern town of Daraa on March 18, 2025. (AFP)
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Syria Is at a Crossroads: It Can Return to Violence or Transition to Peace, Says UN Envoy 

A member of Syria's security forces mans a gun in the back of a truck during the funeral of three people killed in Israeli strikes a day earlier, in the southern town of Daraa on March 18, 2025. (AFP)
A member of Syria's security forces mans a gun in the back of a truck during the funeral of three people killed in Israeli strikes a day earlier, in the southern town of Daraa on March 18, 2025. (AFP)

Three months following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, Syria is at a crossroads, the top UN envoy for the country said Tuesday.

Geir Pedersen told the UN Security Council that Syria can return to violence or start an inclusive transition and end decades of conflict.

He said the road back to conflict, fragmentation and violations of Syrian sovereignty by external powers "must not come to pass." The other road, which would restore Syria’s sovereignty and regional security, is "viable," but "requires the right Syrian decisions" and international support, Pedersen said.

Syria’s civil war had gone on for 13 years when a lightning insurgency led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (HTS) overthrew Assad in December, ending his family’s more than 50-year rule.

Former HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was announced as the country’s interim president after a meeting of armed groups that took part in the offensive.

Pedersen spoke weeks after clashes between Sharaa's security forces and armed groups loyal to Assad - sparked by an ambush by regime remnants on the security forces - spiraled into sectarian revenge attacks that killed scores of civilians, most of them Alawites, a minority sect to which Assad belongs. It was the worst violence since December.

Pedersen told the council that while the situation was "comparatively calmed" after several days, the UN continues to receive reports "of harassment and intimidation, including with heavy sectarian overtones."

He said the interim authorities announced an independent investigation. Pedersen said he stressed that it must be transparent, in line with international standards, and its findings made public.

The UN special envoy, who will be returning to Damascus shortly, highlighted several priority areas for action and attention.

The latest violence, he said, "laid bare the urgent need for credible and efficient accountability for crimes" committed over decades.

He said the UN and the international community will be watching whether the soon-to-be-announced transitional government and transitional legislative council reflect Syria’s diversity and include both men and women.

Pedersen said his team was consulted on a temporary constitution and gave advice on international best practices and norms. "Some of this was taken on board, some was not," he said.

In mid-March, Sharaa signed a temporary constitution that promises to protect the rights of all Syrians for five years during a transitional phase.

"Some Syrians have commended the effort to fill the constitutional vacuum, and noted the incorporation of international human rights norms," Pedersen said. "But others have expressed reservations about the non-transparent process of its drafting and the substance itself — particularly a very strong presidency with unclear checks and balances between state powers and ambiguity regarding the transition steps."

Pedersen also cited other issues that demand action, including dealing with armed groups and foreign fighters, and reviving the economy.