The Free Patriotic Movement on Tuesday denied that its chief Jebran Bassil has requested meetings with Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“Some media outlets are continuing to publish totally baseless reports aimed at distorting the image of the FPM and its chief Jebran Bassil, including what a newspaper mentioned about the FPM leader requesting a meeting that was rejected by Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,” the FPM said in a statement.

U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Michaels has celebrated the successful implementation of the “Business Innovation and Enhance Exports in Lebanon (BIEEL)” at a closing event in the presence of Fair Trade Lebanon President Sami Abdel Malak, Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Louis Lahoud representatives from the industrialist association, chambers of commerce and the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) team, MEPI Coordinator David Lewis and MEPI Program Manager Maya Barhouche, SMEs and local enterprises.

"MEPI, through the $2.5 million BIEEL project implemented by Fair Trade Lebanon, helped 100 Lebanese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives produce and promote Fair Trade Certified products, and provide access to international export markets," the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said in a statement.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil is still keen on the FPM's understanding with Hezbollah despite many disagreements.

During a late Sunday meeting in Baabda, Bassil claimed that his party has made sacrifices because of its understanding with Hezbollah and has paid the price "in order to preserve the unity of Lebanon," as he accused Hezbollah of imposing a president on the Christians.

The French President's Personal Envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, has said that he “will work to facilitate a constructive and inclusive dialogue among the Lebanese in order to reach a solution that is at the same time consensual and effective to get out of the institutional vacuum.”

Outgoing Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat is "disgusted" from the presidential impasse, a media report published Friday in al-Liwaa newspaper said.

The report said that Jubmlat has told his visitors that he is pessimistic and is not seeing any light at the end of the presidential tunnel.

French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday met with MP and ex-presidential candidate Michel Mouawad, Kataeb party leader Sami Gemayel, and other Tajaddod and Kataeb MPs, as he continued his "consultative" mission to push for a solution to the country's presidential deadlock.

He had met on Thursday caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil, and Marada leader and presidential candidate Suleiman Franjieh, who called the encounter "positive and constructive".

Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani voiced optimism over the developments in Lebanon and the region, after attending a dinner banquet hosted by Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari.

Thanking Bukhari for his “dear invitation,” Amani said in a tweet that he is optimistic over the current efforts and developments.

The United States and the United Nations will commence cash distributions to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) on Friday under the “Livelihood Support Program.” 

This program, valued at $55.5 million, will disburse temporary financial support for more than 70,000 LAF personnel and will provide eligible LAF members with $100 per month for a period of six months.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea considered Thursday that despite France's efforts to break the presidential impasse, the problem is "inside Lebanon."

Geagea said, after meeting France's new special envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian, that the presidential crisis could only be resolved inside Lebanon's parliament.

MP Neemat Frem has stressed that the priority today is “rescuing” the country.

“I consider myself qualified to manage this process as a president, in light of the experience I possess in the fields of managing change,” Frem said in an interview with Tele Liban.