Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Tuesday told French President Emmanuel Macron and the EU that a stronger Lebanese army is needed to weaken Hezbollah.
Mr Salam toured European capitals in a bid to shore up support for his country amid a precarious ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militia.
"We are not seeking confrontation with Hezbollah; on the contrary, I would prefer to avoid confrontation with Hezbollah," Mr Salam said, speaking alongside Mr Macron in Paris after attending a meeting of the EU's 27 foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
"But believe me, we will not be intimidated by Hezbollah and those who are fanning the flames of civil war."
The Lebanese government and army are under pressure from western states to disarm Hezbollah, which is also a powerful political party that distributes basic services to its constituents. It is the only militia to have kept its weapons after the 1975-1990 civil war in the name of the fight against Israel.
'Policy of chaos'
But the Lebanese army's plans to disarm Hezbollah in its historic stronghold of southern Lebanon were derailed by the latest escalation caused by Hezbollah firing rockets against Israel last month in solidarity with Iran when it was attacked by the US and Israel.
Mr Macron said he believed it should be the Lebanese army that disarms Hezbollah with the support of the international community. Long-term stability can only be achieved if "Israel renounces its territorial ambitions and understand that the conditions for security are a strong Lebanese state, not a policy of chaos", he said.
Israel has established a "yellow line" about 10km into Lebanese territory which it says is a necessary buffer zone to protect itself from Hezbollah. But its actions in Lebanon, including a large-scale bombing campaign on Beirut on April 8, caused shock among European capitals.
France, a former mandatory power, also encourages direct talks between Lebanon and Israel, two countries that never signed a peace treaty since the 1948 Arab-Israel war. Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors met in Washington last week in what Beirut describes as a "preparatory meeting" to future formal talks.
Diplomacy in action
"We will continue along this path, convinced that diplomacy is not a sign of weakness but an act of responsibility, leaving no avenue unexplored," Mr Salam said.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is set to expire on Sunday, as fears rise that a separate truce between Iran, the US and Israel will not be extended beyond Tuesday and war will return. US Vice President JD Vance had been expected to travel to Pakistan Tuesday but his trip was put on hold as Iran would not confirm it would take part in the meeting.
"We are well aware that we are not completely separate from what is happening between the US and Iran and at Islamabad, even though I have repeatedly insisted that no one other than the Lebanese government can negotiate on behalf of Lebanon," Mr Salam said.
"Lebanon can only benefit from mobilising all its friends and partners in the region and around the world. That's why I'm here today, because all of this carries weight in the negotiations."
France has been pushed out of talks on Lebanon by Israel, in a situation played down by Mr Macron. "France does not need to be at any table, or any table at all, to stand by Lebanon," he said.
Earlier in the day, Mr Salam was in Luxembourg to attend a regular meeting of the EU's foreign ministers. He said on X that he had told them that "Lebanon needs its European partners more than ever".
Priorities include humanitarian aid and strengthening support for Lebanese security forces, he added. “The equation is clear: the stronger the Lebanese army, the weaker the illegitimate armed groups.”
EU foreign affairs commissioner Kaja Kallas said after meeting Mr Salam: “If fighting resumes tonight, it will come at a very large cost for all."
She said he had talked about his government's “efforts to lift the country out of Hezbollah's grip".
“We also continue to support the Lebanese Armed Forces and work on a possible EU civilian mission,” Ms Kallas said. “The more we strengthen the Lebanese army, the weaker we make Hezbollah.”
Before the meeting, the EU's commissioner for humanitarian affairs, Hadja Lahbib, said “the EU stands with Lebanon”. "We are stepping up our humanitarian contribution, €100 million [$117.4 million],” Ms Lahbib said. “It's time to see diplomacy in action. We need a political solution.
“No more war. No more bloodshed. No more schools, hospitals being targeted, and no more people fleeing their houses.”
