Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai met with French Ambassador Denis Pietton in Bekerke on Wednesday despite the diplomat’s announcement that his government was “disappointed” by Rai’s remarks on the Syria issue and Hezbollah’s arms. Bekerke sources told al-Anbaa daily on Tuesday that Rai is demanding an apology from Pietton before setting a date to meet him. The patriarch rejects the ambassador’s criticism of his statements and “will not meet Pietton unless he gives an apology and provides an explanation on his remarks about French disappointment”, the sources said. During his visit to Paris, Rai said that the Syrian President Bashar Assad should be given a chance to introduce reform as he feared that the collapse of the regime would constitute a threat to Christians in the region.as it would lead to the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood or other Muslim radicals groups in Syria. Rai also added that the fate of Hezbollah’s weapons is linked to the liberation of the remaining Israeli-occupied Lebanese territories in Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba Hills.