Berri Says Dialogue between Mustaqbal, Hizbullah Ongoing
Speaker Nabih stressed on Friday that dialogue between the rival two parties al-Mustaqbal movement and Hizbullah will continue, pointing out that the upcoming session will remain on time.
“Dialogue will continue and will continue to achieve Lebanon's best interest,” Berri said.
His comments came in light of media reports saying that al-Mustaqbal movement is mulling to suspend the talks with Hizbullah over the recent verbal spat between the officials of the two parties.
Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal officials have been meeting in Ain el-Tineh under the auspices of Berri since December to defuse sectarian hostility linked to the war in Syria.
The upcoming session is set to be held on April 14.
Berri expressed pessimism earlier on Friday over the verbal spat between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement.
He said that the hostile media exchange should be the center of attention of the upcoming dialogue session between the two parties.
“I will demand both sides to tackle the matter amid the strong rhetoric and firm stances,” the speaker's visitors quoted him as saying in comments to al-Joumhouria newspaper on Friday.
“We should be cautious.”
Meanwhile, al-Akhbar newspaper reported that al-Mustaqbal movement is seeking to adjourn for a week Tuesday's dialogue session over the pretext that Nader Hariri, the adviser of the Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri, is abroad.
Sources close to al-Msutaqbal told the newspaper that the “rise in tension between the two parties doesn't allow the holding of a new session, which would make no sense amid the current rhetoric.”
“The matter will be discussed with Hariri, but hasn't been yet proposed to Berri.”
Hariri on Wednesday had slammed Iran's expansionist plans in the region, defended Saudi Arabia, and attempts to link Lebanon to the neighboring conflicts, in direct response to a speech by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
However, Hariri's statements prompted Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance bloc chief MP Mohmmed Raad to condemn the remarks against the criticism directed to Saudi Arabia, saying that linking Iran to the developments in Yemen and Lebanon are a “major mistake.”
“Only ignorants and cowards remain silent over Saudi Arabia's genocide in Yemen,” he stressed.
H.K.
M.T.
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