Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea left Sunday for Saudi Arabia for talks with top Saudi officials.
Full StoryRussian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov resumed on Friday talks with Lebanese officials on the presidential impasse following his return from Syria.
Bogdanov met early Friday with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkirki.
Full StoryBkirki is reportedly witnessing intensive visits by Maronite leaders to resolve the presidential deadlock and salvage the Christians' most prominent post, regaining its political role, media reports said on Friday.
According to al-Joumhouria newspaper, the endeavors carried out by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi are backed by the Vatican, France and several European counties.
Full StoryLebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized on Wednesday the ongoing vacuum in the presidency, slamming Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's approach towards the polls.
He said: “We call for waging the presidential elections battle at parliament or reaching an understanding, without preconditions, with the FPM.”
Full StorySpeaker Nabih Berri has denied that the much anticipated dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement would be postponed over differences on the agenda of the talks.
In remarks published in local dailies on Wednesday, Berri said: “I am 100 percent reassured and hope the first session would be held by the end of the year.”
Full StoryThe series of meetings held by the director of the department of the Middle East and North Africa at the French Foreign Ministry, Jean-François Girault, with Lebanese officials since his arrival indirectly backed the election of MP Robert Ghanem as Lebanon's president, reported al-Akhbar daily.
On Tuesday, Girault continued his meetings with Lebanese politicians. He met with former President Michel Suleiman who praised “any effort that would lead to attending a parliament session to elect a president.”
Full StoryAn inter-Christian dialogue kicked off recently to bridge the gap between the rival parties, in particular, the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces.
Ad Diyar newspaper reported on Tuesday that Maronite General Council Chairman former Minister Wadih Khazen is carrying indirect contacts between FPM chief Michel Aoun and LF leader Samir Geagea to reach common grounds on controversial issues, especially the presidential elections.
Full StoryLebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has welcomed a dialogue that is expected to take place between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement and considered a proposal made by Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun to end the presidential crisis as “not logical.”
Geagea told As Safir daily published on Tuesday that he is “in principle with any dialogue, in particular between Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon.”
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Hizbullah announced on Sunday that "their position is fixed" regarding the issue of the presidential elections, because one can not take "risks" in this case, but rather electing a person that "has a real representation" between Christians.
Full StoryForeign Minister Jebran Bassil ruled out any foreign interference in the presidential elections amid the regional developments, stressing that Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea's agreement to run in presidential race that includes him and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun isn't enough to resolve the country's lingering crisis.
“We don't need foreign agreements to elect a president. We are seeking to elect a president according to local balances,” Bassil said in an interview with the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Tuesday.
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