Berri Expects Hizbullah-Mustaqbal Dialogue to Start Next Month

Speaker Nabih Berri expected dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement to start by the end of the year but stressed that the controversy on Hizbullah's arsenal and it role in Syria would not be on the agenda of the talks.

Several local dailies published on Friday quoted Berri as telling his visitors that Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal could agree on several other issues which they differ on.

“Hizbullah's arms and its participation in (the war) in Syria are not on the agenda” of the talks, he said.

Al-Mustaqbal has always called on the party to integrate with the Lebanese army and withdraw its fighters from Syria. Hizbullah is fighting alongside troops loyal to President Bashar Assad against rebels seeking to topple him.

Berri reiterated that he rejected pre-conditions on dialogue.

“Dialogue with conditions is useless,” he said, adding he was ready to allow both parties to hold the talks in Ain el-Tineh, parliament or any other location.

MP Jamal al-Jarrah and al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri's advisor Nader Hariri will represent al-Mustaqbal while Hussein Khalil will be Hizbullah's representative in the talks.

Berri spoke to his visitors on Thursday before Saad Hariri's TV appearance during which he announced that he is seeking a “serious dialogue” with Hizbullah “for the sake of the country.”

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