Controversy over Bassil, Hariri Meeting in Jeddah

Controversy loomed on Friday after several media outlets reported that a meeting was held between head of al-Mustaqbal movement and former premier MP Saad Hariri and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil in the western Saudi city of Jeddah.

The state-run National News Agency denied that the two officials had met, despite reporting the news earlier in the day.

The two officials reportedly discussed during their meeting the latest local developments and the ongoing consultations regarding the presidential deadlock.

Bassil, who is loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, is currently in Jeddah to attend an extraordinary meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss Palestine.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Thursday that contacts between Aoun and Hariri haven't ceased but a meeting between them is not near.

Hariri headed to Jeddah on Wednesday after he made a surprise return to Lebanon last week after three years abroad.

During his short visit to Beirut, Hariri held meetings with senior officials and discussed the latest Saudi-financed $1 billion grant to Lebanese security forces to boost the fight against terrorism.

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