France’s president began a visit to Lebanon Friday, where he will meet the crisis-hit country’s newly elected leaders, as the nation attempts to recover from the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.

Since a truce brokered by France and the United States in November between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, Paris has played a key role in helping break Lebanon’s political deadlock, along with its American and Saudi counterparts, that has now led to a new president and prime minister.