Girault Tackles Presidential Crisis with Berri, Salam

The Director of the Department of the Middle East and North Africa at the French Foreign Ministry discussed Friday the presidential impasse with Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Tammam Salam.

Jean-François Girault separately tackled with the two officials the protracting presidential deadlock and the latest developments in the region.

Both meetings at the Grand Serail and Ain el-Tineh were attended by French Ambassador to Lebanon Patrice Paoli.

The French diplomat arrived Wednesday on a two-day official visit.

He kicked off his tour on Thursday by meeting with Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.

Girault's visit coincides with that of Papal envoy to Lebanon former Foreign Minister Monsignor Dominique Mamberti, who left Lebanon on Thursday morning.

Mamberti pressed the importance of ending the presidential vacuum during his meeting with Lebanese officials.

Media reports had said that France, the Vatican and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi are synchronizing their efforts to end the presidential vacuum.

Girault expressed pessimism over the protracting presidential vacuum during his last visit in February, considering an imminent breakthrough is not possible.

Lebanon has been without a president since May last year when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of his successor.

Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps have thwarted the elections.

The French diplomat had been in shuttle diplomacy where he held talks in Riyadh, Tehran, Washington and the Vatican over the presidential crisis.

H.K.