Egypt reaffirmed its role as a pillar of regional stability on Tuesday, hosting a preparatory meeting for the International Conference in Support of the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces.
The opening session was chaired by Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, paving the way for the Paris summit scheduled for March 5.
The meeting brought together senior officials, underscoring the urgency of the situation in Lebanon. Attendees included General Rodolphe Haykal, Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces, and General Raed Abdallah, Director General of the Internal Security Forces, as well as envoys from the “Quint Group” on Lebanon — Egypt, Qatar, France, Saudi Arabia and the United States — and representatives of the Military Technical Committee for Lebanon (MTC4L), comprising Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain, alongside France and the United States.
Representatives from the Arab League, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) and the European External Action Service also took part.
According to Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, discussions were structured around three intensive working sessions: identifying the Lebanese Armed Forces’ urgent operational needs, assessing the logistical requirements of the Internal Security Forces, and finalising coordination mechanisms ahead of the Paris conference.
Opening the meeting, Abdelatty said that “this international mobilisation sends an unequivocal message of solidarity with the Lebanese state.” He stressed that the ultimate objective is to enable the state to restore its exclusive authority over arms throughout its territory, in line with priorities set by Lebanon’s president and prime minister.
The minister commended progress made by Beirut in implementing the weapons centralisation plan adopted in September 2025, highlighting in particular the Lebanese army’s completion of the first phase south of the Litani River within the prescribed timeframe, despite a complex security environment.
At the same time, Abdelatty warned of continued Israeli violations that, he said, undermine the army’s capacity to complete the arms limitation plan. He reiterated the importance of “a full and unconditional Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territories and the full and simultaneous implementation of the cessation of hostilities agreement and UN Security Council Resolution 1701.”
AK/lb/as/APA