French Foreign Minister Warns Lebanon May Disappear as State Unless Urgent Reforms Made

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Lebanon should form a new government and implement a series of urgent reforms, as it is currently on the verge of distress and disappearance due to the consequences of both the Beirut blast and a political crisis in the country, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday.

"The risk today is the disappearance of Lebanon", Le Drian said while speaking on the RTL broadcaster.

He added that the Lebanese authorities’ responsibility is to set up a mission government to ensure that all the necessary reforms, including that of the public market and the bank, are implemented.

The international community, in particular, France, will not support the government demonstrating inaction in proceeding with the vital adjustments to the Lebanese political system, according to Le Drian.

The massive explosion that erupted at the port of Beirut on 4 August destroyed half of the city’s buildings, killing over 170 people and injuring more than 5,000 others. The authorities say the improper storage of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in the Beirut port was the reason for the blast.

The blast that rocked the Lebanese capital was followed by mass demonstrations against the government, which the protesters blamed for negligence over the explosion and overall corruption. They also demanded that major reforms be made in the country’s political system. As a result, on 10 August, then Prime Minister Hassan Diab and his cabinet resigned.