Sources familiar with the contacts taking place in Paris regarding the battle for the Lebanese presidency say that what some Lebanese media outlets are promoting, that the paper of former minister Suleiman Franjieh was “burned” by France, does not correspond to reality.
According to the information available yesterday, the purpose of Franjieh’s recent visit is to “understand with him” about what he can make of “pledges” on major issues, dealing with Syrian refugees, border control, and working with the content of the political and economic reform agenda.
Paris also wants to know what Franjieh can get from Hezbollah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regarding the issues of refugees and the demarcation of borders, including the navy.
France is seeking to find out the reasons why Franjieh believes that he can obtain from Hezbollah and Syria what these two parties did not give to former President Michel Aoun.
Regarding Paris’s ability to succeed in its endeavour, the sources indicate that there are no definitive answers. Because there is a “gray area” dealing with regional reservations, in addition to the rejection of the “Lebanese Forces” and the “Free Patriotic Movement”, the two largest Christian parties, to Franjieh’s accession to the presidency, which is betting on the “French minesweeper”.
A French paper “did not burn” a Frenchman and his visit to Paris to reach an understanding with him on “undertakings”
