Egypt calls for Lebanese consensus to end presidential vacancy

CAIRO

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called on Tuesday for reaching a consensus in Lebanon to end the presidential vacancy in the country.

Abdelatty received a phone call from Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French president’s special envoy to Lebanon, during which they discussed Lebanese developments and an upcoming parliamentary vote to elect a new president, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Egyptian minister stressed the need to achieve “a purely national Lebanese consensus to resolve the presidential vacancy without external impositions.”

He also highlighted the importance of empowering Lebanese national institutions.

Egypt “will continue to provide all forms of support to Lebanon during this critical phase,” he added.

The Lebanese Parliament is scheduled to convene on Jan. 9 to elect a new president to replace Michel Aoun, who left office in October 2022.

A candidate needs two-thirds of the vote, or 86 lawmakers, to make it through the first stage. An absolute majority is needed in subsequent rounds.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala