Aoun Confirms Meeting Hariri, Nasrallah as Part of 'Mediation' Efforts
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun confirmed Monday that he has recently met with former premier Saad Hariri and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, two days after Prime Minister Tammam Salam formed what he described as a “national interest cabinet.”
"If you want to make a mediation, you must talk to everyone and this is why I met with ex-PM Saad Hariri and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” Aoun said in an interview with the FPM's official Facebook page.
“Hizbullah is not embarrassed of my rapprochement with Mustaqbal (Movement) and we will all be able to close ranks,” he added.
Aoun had previously declined to comment on reports claiming he had met with Hariri in Rome more than a month ago, but the political agreement that led to the cabinet's formation on Saturday indicates that the meeting did take place.
Earlier on Monday, the Akhbar al-Yawm news agency revealed that a dinner banquet was held Thursday at Aoun's residence in Rabiyeh, which was attended by Nader Hariri, the ex-PM's adviser, and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Aoun's son-in-law.
The last obstacles that were hindering the formation of Salam's cabinet were resolved during that dinner, the agency said.
According to unconfirmed reports, ex-PM Hariri and Bassil had also held a meeting in Dubai.
On Sunday, Nasrallah described Salam's cabinet as a "settlement cabinet."
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