US, France to "move together to pressure" Lebanese officials
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian agree to pressure Lebanese officials due to the crises that the country is facing with no solution on the horizon.
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United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, during the G7.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced Friday that his country and the United States would "move together to put pressure" on those responsible for the crisis in which Lebanon has been mired for months.
Le Drian said in a press conference with his US counterpart Anthony Blinken in Paris, during his European tour that started in Germany, "We note together with the tragedy that can occur if this country is fragmented or annihilated." But, he added, "We decided to move together to put pressure on those responsible. We know them."
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, had previously expressed his concern about the political and economic crisis in Lebanon, saying that the European Union could not provide any aid to Lebanon without the latter undertaking the necessary reforms. He also said that the European Union was considering imposing sanctions on Some Lebanese personalities because of the crisis in the country.
Within the latest developments in internal decisions in Lebanon, the caretaker Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, approved Friday a proposal to finance fuel imports at an exchange rate of 3900 LBP/USD instead of the previous exchange rate of 1500 LBP/USD, in light of the economic crises Lebanon is facing.
The value of the country's national currency has been deteriorating against the USD, which has been rising; this situation caused a stifling economic problem in the country, in addition to the crisis of not forming a government to manage the country’s affairs until now.
