Reports: Paris meeting nations fail to agree on statement, candidate

The latest Paris meeting on Lebanon witnessed “general discussions and no presidential candidate was endorsed, knowing that the deliberations involved names of candidates,” a media report said on Monday.

“As France said that it was not opposed to any candidate on whom there might be consensus, be him Suleiman Franjieh or Joseph Aoun, while being in favor of keeping Najib Mikati at the head of the coming government, the Saudi side expressed clear opposition to Franjieh and Mikati, stressing that the government and the presidency are linked,” al-Akhbar newspaper said.

The Saudi delegation meanwhile called for “electing a sovereign, incorrupt president for Lebanon who would restore Lebanon’s ties with the Arab and Western countries,” the daily added.

The Saudis also demanded “imposing sanctions on those obstructing the presidential election, but this demand did not receive consensus,” the newspaper said.

Informed diplomatic sources meanwhile told al-Joumhouria newspaper that “no closing statement was issued after the five-party meeting after French diplomacy failed to win the support of the other four parties for a draft statement that it had proposed and distributed to them.”