Diplomatic Intrigue: Saudi Ambassador to host Quintet meeting on Thursday

The discussions on Wednesday, which all converged on the criticism of the budget project, considering it insufficient to rise to the level of the crisis the country is facing financially, economically, and socially, spilled over into internal debates, divisions, the same contentious issues, and deep rifts on all files.

This article is originally published in, translated from Lebanese newspaper Al-Joumhouria.

This undermines the possibility of the internal components coming together in a shared space, whether primary or secondary, regarding those files.

This conveys a discouraging message to the efforts of mediators, especially the renewed effort initiated by the Quintet Committee to resolve the presidential deadlock and hasten the election of a president.

However, apart from this divisive picture that clearly reflects the clash of internal orientations, reliable sources affirmed to "Al-Joumhouria" that the "Quintet" is progressing in laying the foundations for what the sources call a "new initiative" to be presented soon.

In addition, sources confirmed that the new US Ambassador, Lisa Johnson, and the French envoy, Hervé Magro, are actively engaging in intensive consultations while Qatar reinforces its mediation efforts in Beirut.

It revealed a meeting of the ambassadors of the "Quintet" countries in Lebanon in the coming hours, with the possibility of it taking place at the residence of the Saudi Ambassador Walid Al-Bukhari in Yarzeh.

This meeting would complement the public diplomatic activity seen in the visits of the Saudi and Egyptian ambassadors to the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri.

While the visits of the Saudi and Egyptian ambassadors to Ain el-Tineh confirmed the active direction of the "Quintet," this time towards pushing the presidential deadline forward, anticipation remains for what the expected committee meeting might produce.

According to information from sources closely following the efforts of the "Quintet" for "Al-Joumhouria," this meeting will likely take place in the French capital.

The meeting will be followed by a visit from the committee's envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, to Beirut in mid-February, with new ideas to push the Lebanese towards consensus on a president.

If the talks between the Saudi and Egyptian ambassadors in Ain el-Tineh revealed that the Quintet Committee, in its new mission, will not engage in the game of names or endorse specific candidates for the presidency, but instead, its working principle is based on attempting to highlight the qualities that a president should possess.

It will then build on that in the communication and consultations with the parties in Lebanon to create a basis for consensus among them.

Diplomatic sources related to the "Quintet" emphasized to "Al-Joumhouria" that the committee in its new mission is not concerned with imposing presidential options on the Lebanese but is a supportive factor for Lebanese politicians to choose a president. This means that the final word is theirs. In this context, Le Drian's upcoming mission is aligned.

An Arab diplomat revealed to "Al-Joumhouria" that the idea of conducting a dialogue among the Lebanese is circulating within the "Quintet Committee," whether in Beirut or one of the capitals of the Quintet countries.

He pointed out that Qatar might not object to hosting a Lebanese presidential dialogue. However, this idea is not mature yet, especially as some members of the "Quintet" openly talk about prioritizing the countries' support for the region's developments and the repercussions of the Israeli war on Gaza.

They prefer Lebanese consensus on conducting a dialogue among themselves in Beirut, directly supported by the Quintet Committee.