Islam Times - French president vows $113mn military aid in Lebanon visit

Islam Times - French President Francois Hollande has visited Lebanon on the first leg of a regional tour that will also take him to Egypt and Jordan, pledging $113 million in mostly military aid to Beirut over three years.

Following his Saturday arrival in the capital Beirut, Hollande held separate talks with Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Tammam Salam, announcing the assistance to the tiny country that hosts over one million Syrian refugees to as "strengthen Lebanon's military capacity."

On the political front, the French president also called on Lebanese politicians to end squabbling over selecting a president.

"This is a crucial moment, because you need to resolve this crisis and give Lebanon a president," said Hollande after meeting with Berri.

Hollande also told reporters in Beirut that he recognized "the particularly difficult circumstances" facing Lebanon as the result of the foreign-backed war in neighboring Syria.

"In addition to... facing terrorist threats, Lebanon has hosted and continues to host a very high number of refugees," he added.

Berri also stated that it was necessary "to find a political solution to lift the burden" generated by the refugee population in the country.

The two-day visit is Hollande's second to Lebanon since 2012. He will visit the Egyptian capital Cairo next on Sunday afternoon and move on to Jordan.

The French leader is expected to discuss both the political turmoil in Egypt's western neighbor Libya and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.