Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Against the background of an unprecedented deterioration in the socio-economic situation in Lebanon and the exacerbation of internal political tensions, France is intensifying its policy in the Lebanese direction. Playing the role of the "savior of the Lebanese people", Paris hopes to strengthen its position both in the Middle East and in the world as a whole as a leading world power.

I. This trend is evidenced by 31 August visit of French President E. Macron to Lebanon, which was the second since the explosion in the port of Beirut, which led to the death of people, property damage in the amount of US$5 billion and the resignation of the Lebanese government.

Taking this into account, the main purpose of the trip was to assess the readiness of the Lebanese authorities to carry out radical political and economic reforms that could lead to cardinal changes in the internal political system, “calm down” the rebellious population and mitigate the consequences of the growing crisis.

Guided by such aspirations, earlier E. Macron threatened the local authorities with sanctions if they did not start reforms quickly. Depending on the fulfillment of these tasks, the question of providing Beirut with financial assistance from the international community will also be decided.

In this regard, the visit of the French leader is assessed as E. Macron’s intention to personally follow the process of forming the new government through negotiations with high-ranking officials of Lebanon.

This position of E. Macron prompted the leading political parties of Lebanon to hastily, a few hours before the landing of his plane in Beirut, to elect M. Adib, who had worked as ambassador to Germany since 2013, as head of government.

For this reason, the local media called the new candidate for the post of Lebanese prime minister a "compromise figure" that suits both Lebanese political forces and external powers involved in the process of resolving the internal political crisis in this Arab country.

However, the nomination of M. Adib was perceived ambiguously by a part of the Lebanese population. As a result, the visit of the French President took place against the backdrop of a new wave of protests in Beirut, dubbed the "Great Wrath of Lebanon".

Despite this, at a meeting with Lebanese President M. Aoun, E. Macron expressed his satisfaction with the appointment of a new prime minister, who, according to him, needs to quickly form a government to carry out reforms.

He also announced his plans to additionally allocate 7 million euros in humanitarian aid to the country and to host an international conference to support Lebanon in October this year. According to him, "France will continue to mobilize the international community to take immediate action to save Lebanon."

II. Commenting on the increased activity of Paris in the Lebanese direction, experts point to a number of strategic goals pursued by the French authorities.

First, the sharp activation of France in the Lebanese arena is seen as a result of the country’s desire to return the former French colonies in the Middle East to its sphere of influence. It is no coincidence that the visit coincided with the centenary of the creation of Greater Lebanon, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the beginning of French rule in this country. According to various estimates, "exactly a century later, Paris, taking advantage of the crisis, is again trying to dictate its own rules of the game in Lebanon."

Second, France intends to enhance the country’s international image by positioning itself as a power capable of exerting a "stabilizing effect" on Middle East crises. Today the country plays an active role in the Libyan conflict, is involved in the Turkish-Greek confrontation in the Eastern Mediterranean and continues to act as one of the main guarantors of the preservation of the Iranian nuclear deal.

Third, France’s goals in Lebanon will not be limited to political considerations and expressions of solidarity with the Lebanese people. The possible strengthening of the position of Paris in this Mediterranean country will allow the French side to more confidently declare its interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, which today, due to the presence there of a huge reserve of energy resources, is turning into the main arena of geopolitical confrontation of a wide range of states.

In general, the involvement of France in the settlement of the Lebanese crisis and the attempts of the French leadership to assume the role of a decisive player in the transformation of the political system of the Arab country signals the intention of Paris to strengthen its positions in the Middle East with the expectation of receiving a number of important political and economic dividends.