BEIRUT: Israel has not intervened in the implementation of the Saudi-funded deal to provide the Lebanese Army with weapons, according to the French Ambassador to Lebanon Patrice Paoli.
In an interview published Friday by Al-Joumhouria newspaper, Paoli dismissed reports that Israel has attempted to influence France to prevent the Lebanese Army from being equipped with certain weapons.
“This has not happened, and all the discussions on the armament issue are between France, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia only,” Paoli said. “We refuse to discuss this with any other country.”
Asked about Speaker Nabih Berri’s concern that Israel has intervened, Paoli said that "Speaker Berri has not expressed any concern about [that] ... But I repeat that the cooperation between France and Lebanon has no limit.”
“In respect to France’s sovereignty, we do not receive orders from any other state,” he said.
According to Paoli, both Saudi Arabia and France are making efforts to speed up the implementation of the $3 billion deal, and it was confirmed during the Saudi Prince Salman bin Abdel-Aziz’s recent visit to Paris.
However, he admitted that the deal was unique, which made it more difficult to complete quickly.
“The issue of Army equipment is complicated because it is the first of its kind,” Paoli said. “We have not had any previous examples of similar deals.”
As a result, Paoli said the implementation would take “longer than expected,” but stressed that progress would soon be witnessed.
Paoli also commented on reports that the deal was being brokered by individuals seeking to gain private profits.
“Our policy relies on implementing everything accurately and with absolute transparency,” the French diplomat said. “There might be some people wanting to make benefit out of this deal to achieve their personal goals, but I repeat that this agreement is being implemented between three countries without any mediation.”
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