(MENAFN) French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday that France seeks to preserve peace in the Gaza Strip and expects all parties to fully comply with commitments.

During remarks to reporters at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, he emphasized that global crises should be handled in line with the UN Charter and the principle of territorial integrity.

Macron highlighted what he described as ongoing double standards in how the international community responds to conflicts. He underscored that France follows a single, uniform standard—one that upholds national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and human dignity in regions ranging from Sudan to Palestine and Israel, as well as Ukraine.

He pointed out that the situation in Gaza remains extremely difficult, saying France aims to safeguard stability, ensure that all sides honor their obligations, and work toward a broader security and governance structure that could eventually involve an international mission.

Macron added that France and Saudi Arabia act as guarantors of the New York Declaration’s schedule, explaining that Paris is coordinating directly with Israel on a staged withdrawal from southern Lebanon and, with backing from the US, on developing a mechanism intended to assist the Lebanese government in reasserting control in the area.

On the US proposal for ending the war in Ukraine, Macron said it is positive for recognizing core issues of sovereignty and security, while emphasizing that any eventual agreement must also take Europe’s own security interests into account. He noted that the initiative, despite not being negotiated with European partners, involves matters that fall within their responsibility, such as frozen Russian assets, Ukraine’s European Union trajectory, and NATO-related decisions.

He said that American, Ukrainian, and European negotiators plan to gather in Geneva on Sunday, while the Volunteer Coalition is scheduled to meet online on Nov. 25.

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