Macron to host Lebanese PM in Paris amid fragile ceasefire, peacekeeper death

• French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Tuesday, April 21.
• The diplomatic talks coincide with a fragile 10-day truce between 'Israel' and Hezbollah.
• The visit was announced just a day after Paris blamed Hezbollah for the death of a French UN peacekeeper.

French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to host Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Paris on Tuesday, April 21, the Élysée Palace announced.

The high-level meeting takes place as a delicate 10-day truce continues to hold between 'Israel' and the Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

Support for ceasefire and sovereignty

According to a statement released by the French president's office on Sunday, the upcoming visit is designed to highlight Macron's firm commitment to seeing "full and complete respect for the ceasefire in Lebanon."

Furthermore, the Élysée emphasized that the talks will reinforce France's ongoing diplomatic support for Lebanon's "territorial integrity" and broader state sovereignty during this highly volatile period.

Read more: France blames Hezbollah for French peacekeeper's death in Lebanon

Tensions over peacekeeper casualty

The scheduled meeting between Macron and Salam comes at a particularly tense moment in French-Lebanese relations.

The announcement of the Prime Minister's visit was made just one day after the French government publicly blamed Hezbollah group for the recent death of a French peacekeeper serving in Lebanon, meanwhile Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the UN peacekeeper death.

This significant accusation is expected to cast a shadow over Tuesday's discussions as Paris navigates its historical ties with Beirut and its demands for accountability regarding its forces on the ground.