SAUDI ARABIA: French president Hollande says will supply arms to Lebanon army if asked

Record ID: 189289

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: French president Hollande says will supply arms to Lebanon army if asked
  • Date: 29th December 2013
  • Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (DECEMBER 29, 2013) (REUTERS): FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE AUDIENCE (SOUNBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: "The relationships between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon is that of two sovereign states, I cannot give any information here. What I know is that France has equipped the Lebanese army for a while up until recently and we will readily answer any solicitation. Why ? Because as I said Lebanon must remain united, its integrity must be respected, its security must be guaranteed, for all the Lebanese, for all components of Lebanese, for Lebanon as while. So I have relations with President Suleinan and if demands are made to us we will satisfy them." MAN TAKING NOTES AUDIENCE (SOUNBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: "One must endorse and support the government and the Interior Minister with respect to statements or acts whose anti-Semitic character can not be denied. I don't have any other comment to make." SAUDI, EU AND FRENCH FLAGS
  • Embargoed: 13th January 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8GUUOR11PFHJCQVAGBE4CM9VY
  • Story Text: France will supply weapons to the Lebanese army if it is asked to do so, French President Francois Hollande says.



    France will supply weapons to the Lebanese army if it is asked to do so, French President Francois Hollande said on Sunday (December 29) during a visit to Saudi Arabia where he met King Abdullah.
    "What I know is that France has equipped the Lebanese army for a while up until recently and we will readily answer any solicitation. Why ? Because as I said Lebanon must remain united, its integrity must be respected, its security must be guaranteed, for all the Lebanese, for all components of Lebanese, for Lebanon as while, Hollande said. "If demands are made to us we will satisfy them."
    Riyadh had earlier pledged $3 billion in aid to the Lebanese army to strengthen its capabilities, Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman said in a televised address.
    Some of the money was likely to be spent on weapons from France, Suleiman also indicated.
    Lebanon's armed forces have been struggling to deal with violence spreading over the border from Syria's civil war.
    Lebanon, which is still rebuilding after its own 15-year civil war, has seen clashes between gunmen loyal to opposing sides of the Syrian conflict, as well as militant attacks on the army itself.
    Hollande also said he approved an initiative by Interior Minister Manuel Valls, who said on Friday (December 27) France may ban a French comedian for anti-Semitic jibes.
    "One must endorse and support the government and the Interior Minister with respect to statements or acts whose anti-Semitic character can not be denied," Hollande said.
    Valls said his ministry was studying legal ways to ban shows by Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, a comedian repeatedly fined for hate speech who ran in the 2009 European Parliament elections at the head of an "Anti-Zionist List" including far-right activists.
    Valls announced the move after Jewish groups complained to President Francois Hollande about Dieudonne's trademark straight-arm gesture, which they call a "Nazi salute in reverse" and link to a growing frequency of anti-Semitic remarks and acts in France.
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