National News Agency
The Embassy of France in Lebanon denied in an issued a statement on Saturday the words attributed to Ambassador Pierre Duquesne in an article published in today's issue of Al-Akhbar Newspaper, deeming that "the Ambassador's words were distorted and taken out of context."
"France is exerting strong efforts for Lebanon, precisely because it has all confidence in its ability to reform and meet future challenges," the statement asserted.
"The commitments we made during the Cedre, Rome and Brussels Conferences attest to our will to deepen our partnership with this country, which we consider as a key interlocutor and a model of coexistence in the region," the statement went on.
"France is committed to the stability of Lebanon and will therefore always remain at its side," the French Embassy statement concluded.