Industry Minister Wael Abu Faour of the Progressive Socialist Party hoped Sunday that the meeting that was held in Laqlouq between Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil and Democratic Gathering head MP Taymour Jumblat will push the FPM leader to “reevaluate his rhetoric.”

“His rhetoric has inflamed tensions in Lebanon,” Abu Faour noted in a radio interview.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri is “a man who is as big as a nation” and he will not get entangled in “narrow politics,” a minister said on Sunday.

“He will certainly not stand idly by to watch the country sink,” Telecommunications Minister Mohammed Choucair said.

The meeting was held between Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil and the head of the Democratic Gathering bloc MP Taymour Jumblat reflects a new Progressive Socialist Party policy, PSP sources said.

In remarks published Sunday in Kuwait’s al-Anbaa newspaper, the sources said the meeting in Laqlouq reflected “the pacification policy that PSP leader Walid Jumblat has decided to show towards the presidential tenure, and perhaps towards its supporters, until the end of this term.”

A reconciliation meeting orchestrated by Speaker Nabih Berri was held on Saturday in Ain el-Tineh between Hizbullah and the Progressive Socialist Party.

A candidate running in the Tyre parliamentary by-election race withdrew leaving only Hizbullah’s candidate, Hassan Ezzeddine, running for the district’s vacant seat.

Due to “urgent” reasons, a planned visit of Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea to the Chouf region was postponed on Saturday, his deputy said.

Minister of Defense Elias Bou Saab issued a statement on Saturday freezing all weapon permits in the southern city of Nabatieh, the State-run National News Agency reported.

After appointing the last five Constitutional Council members at a Cabinet session last month that “excluded” the Lebanese Forces, the LF stressed they “now have no more allies except those who wish to uncover and name the corrupt,” the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat reported on Saturday.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri received on Friday a telephone call from French President Emmanuel Macron who expressed satisfaction with the progress accomplished by Lebanon towards launching the CEDRE investment projects during the meeting of French envoy Pierre Duquesne with Hariri, the Premier’s office said.

President Michel Aoun on Friday told UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis that Lebanon has a legitimate right to fight any Israeli aggression against its sovereignty, the National News Agency reported.