Continuing Diplomatic Engagement: Quintet Committee's Talks with Lebanese Leaders

A report by Raneem Bou Khzam, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

 

The Quintet Committee's rounds of meetings with Lebanese leaders continue despite all the political ambiguity in the region. 

 

On Tuesday, three meetings took place, the first with former President Michel Aoun. The committee did not raise different points from its previous discussions but reiterated the importance of national consensus on the criteria for the president.

 

Aoun, for his part, emphasized the call for presidential election sessions, as well as the necessity for the presidential candidate to be capable of addressing Lebanon's crises and continuing investigations into financial crimes.

Regarding the sessions and the parliament, converged with a statement by the leader of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, after his meeting with the ambassadors of the Quintet, which was the second meeting on Tuesday's agenda. 

 

The ambassadors listened to what the next steps might be, while the Lebanese Forces reiterated that they had done everything possible in the past stage through consultations with various parties, reaffirming their rejection of deviating from constitutional norms, meaning, in other words, going to a dialogue table before electing the president.

 

The evening appointment in Clemenceau was the last before Eid al-Fitr. According to information, the post-Eid period will witness the continuation of meetings with the remaining blocs and political figures, including a meeting with Gebran Bassil, which the US ambassador will be absent from, a meeting with Hezbollah which will be attended by neither the US nor the Saudi ambassador. There will also be a series of meetings with the National Moderation Blocs, Tajadod, the Kataeb Party, and independent MPs.