Qatar says backs inter-Lebanese consensus on new president

The latest visit to Lebanon by Qatari State Minister at the Foreign Ministry Mohammed al-Khulaifi was aimed at “exploring and supporting the efforts to reach an agreement in Lebanon,” a Qatari foreign ministry spokesman said.

Doha is seeking to “reconcile the viewpoints of the political parties and support reaching an agreement that pulls Lebanon out of its current crisis in cooperation with the region’s nations,” the spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, added.

“The State of Qatar backs inter-Lebanese consensus for choosing a presidential candidate and it stands at the same distance from all sides,” Ansari said.

He also reiterated Doha’s condemnation of Israel’s latest attacks in south Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, holding “Israel alone” responsible for the surge in violence in the region.

An Arab diplomat meanwhile told al-Joumhouria newspaper that “the Lebanese file will be put on the front burner after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.”

“This intensification will be based on the (recent) Qatari visit” to Lebanon and “the solution will be born from an Arab gateway,” the diplomat added.