Le Drian meets al-Rahi on third day of presidential talks
French Special Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian resumed Thursday his meetings with Lebanese key players for the third day, by meeting Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkerki.
Le Drian will later meet with the majority of the Sunni lawmakers -- except some MPs including Hezbollah's -- and Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari in Yarze.
Le Drian is visiting Lebanon for the third time to resume "his good offices mission, initiated last July, in coordination with the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt," the French Embassy in Beirut said.
He will once again meet with all the political players in charge of electing a president to discuss "the priority projects to be addressed by the next President, in order to facilitate the emergence of a consensual solution that will end the institutional crisis."
He had met on Tuesday and Wednesday with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Free Patriotic Movement Jebran Bassil, Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh, Army chief Gen. Joseph Aoun, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel, and independent and Change MPs.
After his meeting with Le Drian, Geagea mentioned a new development in the presidential file, but said it is too early to talk about it. "We're waiting for it to crystallize in the coming days and weeks."
According to local media reports, Le Drian has tacitly proposed Army chief Gen. Joseph Aoun's name for presidency, and has promised a continuous quorum for the presidential election sessions that will follow a seven-day dialogue proposed by Berri.
Source: Naharnet
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