French president calls for non-interference in Lebanon to avoid escalation

PARIS, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron called on foreign powers on Friday to stop interfering in Lebanon's politics to preserve the country's stability and peace in the region.

Macron's comments were made at a meeting in Paris of the international support group for Lebanon, which brings together the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, France, China, Russia, and the United States -- in addition to the European Union (EU), the Arab League, Italy and Germany.

The international gathering "must show the will of the international community to see the policy of regional disassociation put into place effectively by everyone in the country," Macron said at the opening remarks.

"For Lebanon to be protected from regional crises, it's essential that all Lebanese parties and regional actors respect the principle of non-interference," he added.

Lebanon, where a fragile balance between several ethnic groups, is already delicate, had risked a new political crisis after its Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri announced from Saudi Arabia his resignation on Nov. 4.

The resignation was widely seen as Saudi Arabia's show of force to stem the influence of Iran, its arch rival, in Arab countries, mainly in Lebanon.

"The crisis that has just occurred is due to internal factors, but it is also due to regional tensions that weigh on a country which we care a lot about," Macron told participants, including the Lebanese premier.

After talks between Lebanese factions and al-Hariri earlier this week, the prime minister withdrew his resignation, and his cabinet unanimously endorsed a new dissociation policy to stay out of conflicts in Arab countries. Enditem