(PARIS, FRANCE) — France and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on Tuesday for Paris to provide the Lebanese army with $3 billion worth of French weapons and military equipment paid for by Riyadh, the French foreign minister said.
The deal, which was first announced in December, aims to boost Lebanon’s military strength as it struggles to contain violence on the Syrian border. The Lebanese army has few resources to deal with the instability on its border and has been seeking funding from other countries.
“I welcome the signing of the contract to assist the Lebanese army,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement. “This agreement, financed by a Saudi donation, will strengthen the Lebanese army, which is the guarantor of the unity and stability of Lebanon.”
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assad and Edouard Guillaud, the head of the ODAS organization set up by France for the export of defense equipment, signed the final agreement.
The French defense ministry says they will outline details of the contract in the coming days.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia or Lebanon. But the Lebanese military said Monday that army commander Gen. Jean Kahwaji was traveling to attend the signing ceremony.
The deal supposedly includes “land, air, and naval equipment,” according to French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, when he spoke to parliament on October 8 to outline the deal.
Since announcing the deal in December, Riyadh’s regional rival, Iran, has also said it is ready to provide aid to the Lebanese army. Many Lebanese view these offers as part of a competition for influence over their tiny country, which is split by sectarian divides.
The Lebanese army is generally seen as a unifying force in Lebanon, and draws its ranks from all of the country’s sects, but it has struggled to contain the escalating violence since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict.
Saudi Arabia, which has already provided $1 billion in military aid to the Lebanese army, has recently taken part in U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria.