Daryan Returns from Jeddah, Says Saudi King Welcomes Dialogue in Lebanon
Grand Mutfi Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan on Friday said Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz welcomes the dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal Movement.
Daryan voiced his remarks at Beirut's airport upon his arrival from Saudi Arabia, where he held talk with top Saudi officials and al-Mustaqbal leader MP Saad Hariri.
King Abdullah's “approach is sponsoring dialogue inside the kingdom and between Arab nations, and Lebanon is in the heart of the kingdom,” Daryan said in response to a question about Riyadh's stance on the dialogue that started between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal.
"The top Saudi officials will follow up on it (dialogue) closely, especially King Abdullah, who greatly respects and appreciates Lebanon and all the Arab countries,” he added.
About his meeting with Hariri, the mufti said the talks were “important and fruitful.”
“He is looking forward to successful dialogue with Hizbullah. This dialogue can defuse the sectarian tension in the country and pave the way to openness between sects,” Daryan added.
“I think that this dialogue will pave the way to broader and deeper talks among all the Lebanese parties. This is the only way to preserve our country.”
Al-Mustaqbal and Hizbullah held their first, long-awaited meeting in Ain al-Tineh on Tuesday evening under the auspices of Speaker Nabih Berri.
“The meetings are not aimed at forming a new political alignment in the domestic arena and they are not meant to be against anyone,” said a joint statement issued after the talks.
There are five topics on the dialogue's agenda – defusing sectarian tensions and easing the political rhetoric, the anti-terror fight, the presidential vote, activating the work of institutions, and finding a new electoral law.
Lebanon has been without a head of state, since President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ended in May, over differences between the March 8 and 14 alliances.
Al-Mustaqbal is at odds with Hizbullah over its involvement in Syria's civil war. The party has sent its members to fight alongside troops loyal to President Bashar Assad against rebels seeking to topple him.
The movement has also repeatedly called on Hizbullah to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state similar to what the country's militias did at the end of the civil war.
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