The abstention of foreign ministers of the countries of the "Quint Committee" from participating in the meeting held at the permanent mission of France to the United Nations in New York Tuesday indicated the failure of the meeting before its convening due to divisions among its members.
This is contrary to what was suggested by the gestures of the Saudi Ambassador in Beirut, Walid al-Bukhari, and the French presidential envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, recently.
This article was originally published in, translated from the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar. These divisions were further underscored by the lack of a statement issued after the meeting, which included objections from the United States regarding the French management of the Lebanese file and demands for setting a timeline for Le Drian's mission and not leaving deadlines open-ended.
According to initial leaks received in Beirut, the discussions in the meeting contradicted the Franco-Saudi atmosphere that Le Drian and al-Bukhari had tried to create and did not receive support from the Americans, who seem to be leaning towards handing over the task to Qatar.
Furthermore, the State Minister of the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, represented Qatar at the meeting.
Therefore, the American stance threatens to undermine Le Drian's mission.
The latter is expected to visit Beirut next month but without a "unified" Quint statement, similar to the one issued after the Doha meeting in July last year, which threatened to "take action against those obstructing progress" in the presidential file.
In his speech at the opening of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, stated, "It is unfortunate that the suffering of the Lebanese people continues due to political calculations."
He also stressed that "the danger is looming over the state institutions in Lebanon, and we emphasize the need to find a solution to the presidential vacuum."
He then emphasized "the necessity of finding a sustainable solution to the political vacuum in Lebanon and establishing mechanisms to prevent its recurrence, and forming a government capable of meeting the aspirations of the Lebanese people and lifting them from their economic and developmental crises."
According to informed sources, the most important conclusion of the meeting on Tuesday is that "Lebanon will remain on the waiting list, waiting for regional developments, especially on the US-Iranian front, and any movement in the meantime, whether it is French, Qatari, or Egyptian, is nothing more than a waste of time."
In the past two days, the news has revolved around the arrival of a Qatari delegation to Beirut in a new attempt to foster internal understanding with the support of members of the "Quint Committee."
However, there were leaks about a list of names carried by the envoy, led by Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, with the recent addition of retired Brigadier General George Khoury.
But prominent sources have denied this information, revealing that "the Qataris have postponed their visit to Beirut until the first week of next month, specifically after the visit that Le Drian is scheduled to make."
Moreover, the sources added that "the Qatari presence in Beirut is maintained by officials who are almost permanently present, and their movement is continuous but does not carry any initiative. As for the main delegation awaited by the Lebanese, its arrival is postponed."
Therefore, there will be no Arab or Western diplomatic activity until the expected return of Le Drian.
According to sources, he will call for a dialogue at the Pine Palace, followed by an invitation from the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, who has publicly committed to holding a dialogue in parliament, led by the Speaker along with his deputy Elias Bou Saab.
Franco-Saudi rapprochement did not receive support from Americans
In this context, a new stance from Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai emerged Tuesday, suggesting that he has changed his position on the dialogue issue.
In a press conference in Sydney, he said, "I did not say I am in favor of dialogue, but I mentioned the dialogue taking place after everyone agrees on it, and the parliament is currently in an electoral state, and during elections, they engage in dialogue."
This statement did not receive a positive response from the Speaker. Still, he appears keen on "not entering into political confrontations with anyone to avoid provoking any party," according to his sources.
Berri also confirmed that "his invitation and management of the dialogue are subject to change according to the changing circumstances in the coming phase, but things are moving in this direction so far."