France, US to increase cooperation on Middle East peacebuilding efforts, Macron says

French President Emmanuel Macron announced Saturday that France and the United States would enhance coordination of efforts and resources to prevent further escalation in the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, and across the region more broadly.

In a joint statement with President Joe Biden, Macron stated that the two nations were “closely coordinating” negotiations between Israel, Lebanon, and “all the parties involved” to defuse the escalating cross-border violence.

“Our two countries are determined to exert the necessary pressure to stop this trend,” Macron added.

Diplomatic struggles

President Biden, who traveled to France for a state visit commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, did not directly refer to Lebanon during the statement.

Both France and the US have historical and longstanding strategic influence in Lebanon, given the Levantine nation’s former status as a French mandate and its proximity to close US ally Israel.

However, diplomats informed about the situation say the two states have struggled to channel their efforts into a cohesive plan and produce effective change, as none of the written proposals from either France or the US have been fully acceptable to any of the involved parties.