Presidential candidates' standards in focus: Aoun's address to Quintet Committee ambassadors

Former President Michel Aoun stressed the necessity for presidential candidates to have the intention and ability to address the crises facing Lebanon, especially those affecting the economy and security, and to follow up on investigations into financial crimes.

Aoun's remarks came during his meeting with the Quintet Committee ambassadors: Saudi Arabia's ambassador, Waleed Bukhari; France's ambassador, Hervé Magro; Qatar's ambassador, Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani; Egypt's ambassador, Alaa Moussa; and the United States ambassador Lisa Johnson.

The Egyptian ambassador, for his part, pointed out that they were keen on meeting Aoun for two important reasons: first, for his political significance, and second, for his long experience and expertise.

He continued: "We were keen to listen to his advice and presented our plan for action in the coming period and what the Quintet envisages as a path to be followed in the coming days until the president's election. He offered us many important pieces of advice."

Moussa considered Aoun's advice to be very beneficial for the committee's work in its upcoming meetings with various political forces, saying, "Today, we have a busy day of meetings, which will hopefully conclude and continue, God willing, at the beginning of next month with the rest of the political blocs, leading to the establishment of a common ground that allows us to make a breakthrough in this difficult file."

Finally, he expressed his wish that these efforts would conclude this file as soon as possible.