Juppe Meets Jumblat: France is Committed to Preserving Lebanese Stability

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has reportedly informed Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat that France is keen on preserving Lebanon’s stability amid an uprising against the Syrian regime.

France is aware of the suppression of the Syrian people and cannot stand idle, Juppe told Jumblat and Caretaker Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi during a meeting in Paris on Tuesday, Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat quoted sources as saying.

“France is aware of the impact that the situation in Syria has on Lebanon,” Juppe told his visitors, according to the sources.

The three men held talks on the developments in the Arab world and Juppe heard Jumblat’s point of view on the situation in Lebanon, including the cabinet impasse, the sources told al-Hayat.

When contacted by An Nahar daily, Aridi called for speeding up the formation of the government and rejected any justification for the deadlock.

The minister said that the delay was paralyzing the economy of the country.

“Unfortunately, all the issues are being addressed lightly,” Aridi told An Nahar, warning that the current situation stands ahead of the “narrow political calculations” of the political parties.