US, France working on Lebanon diplomatic initiative, Cyprus president says

By John Irish and Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States and France are trying to hammer out an interim accord to halt hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah with a view to opening broader diplomatic talks, Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides said on Wednesday.

"I don't see that we can have a (broad) agreement but a form of interim agreement in order to avoid further escalation. This is the effort right now especially from the United States and France," Christodoulides told Reuters on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

The Mediterranean island of Cyprus is the closest European Union member state, some 264 km (164 miles) from Lebanon. It has been at the forefront of maritime aid efforts for Gaza and has a key interest on developments in Lebanon should there be a need to evacuate foreign nationals.

Christodoulides said he had spoken to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and French President Emmanuel Macron in New York and by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"During the last days there are a lot of deliberations to avoid further escalation, especially with Lebanon. There is a diplomatic initiative from the United States and France," he said, adding that meetings in New York on Wednesday would be crucial.

"Avoid further escalation to give time to diplomacy to find a permanent solution," he said.

(Reporting by John Irish and Michelle Nichols; Editing by Howard Goller)

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