US and France working on interim Lebanon peace accord

The United States and France are working on an interim agreement to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon with a view to broader talks – this was the claim made by Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on September 25th, according to the Arab News via Reuters.

“I don’t see that we can have a (broad) agreement but a form of interim agreement in order to avoid further escalation. This is the effort right now especially from the United States and France,” Christodoulides told Reuters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

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Cyprus is the closest European Union member state to Lebanon, situated some 264 km (164 miles) away, and it has an interest in events in Lebanon should there be a need to evacuate foreign nationals. The island nation has also been at the forefront of maritime aid efforts for Gaza.

Christodoulides said he had spoken to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and French President Emmanuel Macron in New York and by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“During the last days there are a lot of deliberations to avoid further escalation, especially with Lebanon. There is a diplomatic initiative from the United States and France,” he said, adding that meetings in New York on Wednesday would be crucial.

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“Avoid further escalation to give time to diplomacy to find a permanent solution,” he said.

Retuers.