The Daily Press Briefing (03/10/2026)

France – Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères – Press briefing

Statements by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Spokesperson

Press briefing

Published on March 10, 2026

CONTENTS

1. Situation in Lebanon (Mar. 10, 2026)
2. NATO – Meeting between Jean-Noël Barrot and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Brussels – Mar. 10, 2026)
3. Morocco – Meeting between the Minister and his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita (Mar. 10, 2026)
4. United Nations – Appointment of the Executive Director of the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (Mar. 9, 2026)

Situation in Lebanon (Mar. 10, 2026)

France expresses its deep concern over the current escalation of violence in Lebanon. It has asked the United Nations Security Council in New York to hold an emergency meeting, which will take place tomorrow.

France condemns Hezbollah’s irresponsible decision to join in Iran’s attacks on Israel since March 1. It calls on Hezbollah to end its operations and hand over its weapons. France offers the Lebanese authorities its full support; their March 2nd decision to prohibit Hezbollah’s military and security activities is an important commitment, which we commend.

France calls on Israel to refrain from any land-based or long-term interventions in Lebanon, whose territorial integrity and sovereignty must be respected. France is deeply concerned by the current displacement of civilians and is doing its utmost to meet their humanitarian needs in cooperation with the Lebanese authorities and humanitarian actors, including the High Commissioner for Refugees.

France calls on all the parties to exercise restraint, to return to the ceasefire of November 26, 2024, and to abide by UN Security Council resolution 1701.

France calls on all the parties to abide by international law and international humanitarian law. Compliance with the rules governing the conduct of hostilities, and particularly the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, is vital to ensuring the protection of civilian populations and civilian infrastructure in all circumstances.

France stresses that the protection of peacekeepers and the safety and security of United Nations personnel, property and premises must be guaranteed in accordance with international law and resolution 1701. President Macron condemned the unacceptable attack on three members of the Ghanaian contingent on March 6, leaving one of them seriously wounded. France expresses its full solidarity with Ghana and wishes the affected personnel a speedy recovery. In this difficult situation, France applauds the bravery, professionalism and dedication of UNIFIL personnel.

NATO

Meeting between Jean-Noël Barrot and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Brussels – Mar. 10, 2026)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels on March 9.

Against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East, the minister shared France’s analysis of the situation and noted the means deployed by France in support of its partners in the region. He reiterated France’s support for maintaining NATO’s ballistic missile defense posture in response to the firing of an Iranian missile toward Turkey, a NATO ally country.

Looking ahead to the NATO summit in Ankara, which will be held on July 7 and 8, the Minister underscored the European commitment to strengthen its own defenses and engage in burden-sharing with the United States. He noted the key role played by the European Union in this regard. All of these efforts serve to shore up the Alliance’s European pillar, whose development is inextricably linked to the credibility of our deterrence and defense posture.

The Minister also stressed the importance of continuing our support for Ukraine and the progress that has been made by the Coalition of the Willing.

Following President Macron’s speech at Ile Longue on March 2, the Minister also addressed the main announcements that were made with regard to advanced deterrence, which would contribute to strengthening the alliance’s global deterrence and is fully complementary with NATO’s nuclear mission.

MOROCCO

Meeting between the Minister and his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita (Mar. 10, 2026)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot met today with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, on the sidelines of the second World Nuclear Energy Summit, hosted by France in Boulogne-Billancourt.

The two Ministers reaffirmed the importance of the stepped-up special partnership between France and Morocco and applauded the vitality of our bilateral relationship. They are looking forward to the 15th edition of the High-Level Bilateral Meeting in Morocco.

The Minister also praised the quadripartite negotiations on the Western Sahara in line with resolution 2797, which provided a clear framework for re-starting talks based on the Moroccan autonomy plan, under the auspices of the United Nations.

UNITED NATIONS

Appointment of the Executive Director of the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (Mar. 9, 2026)

France welcomes the UN Secretary-General’s appointment of Monica Kathina Juma, National Security Adviser to the President of Kenya and Secretary to Kenya’s National Security Council, to serve as Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director General of the UN Office in Vienna.

France has an important partnership with UNODC, which plays a major role in defining international policies on preventing and combating the illicit use of drugs and preventing terrorism. France is committed to ensuring that this effort is consistent with its own effort to combat organized crime, and particularly drug trafficking.

France will continue to support UNODC in its effort to combat transnational criminal threats and to respond to new global challenges. We offer Ms. Juma our best wishes for success in her new role.