Press Digest for Tuesday June 11, 2013

The following are summaries of today's major stories published in the Arabic press. LBCI does not edit press digest articles for content, giving English-language readers insight into the various views expressed in newspapers across the Arab world.

• Speaker Berri says US and Russia support "political solution" for Syrian crisis

Speaker Nabih Berri told Al-Joumhouria newspaper on Tuesday that Syria's al-Qusayr battle will have several repercussions on the Lebanese political level.

He also highlighted the US and Russian stances in regards to reaching a political solution for the ongoing crisis in neighboring Syria.

On Lebanon, Speaker Berri noted that the "Lebanese political mentality will not change", voicing his concerns over the notions Islam and the Arabism in the region.

• President Michel Sleiman to meet with Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammad Raad

Sources told As-Safir newspaper on Tuesday that Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammad Raad is set to meet on Tuesday with President Michel Sleiman at the Baabda Palace.

Sources added that President Sleiman will assert to MP Raad the importance of Lebanon's abiding by the self-dissociation policy and the Baabda declaration, urging Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from Syria.

According to the Daily, Hezbollah General Secretary Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will tackle the latest developments in Syria's al-Qusayr  in his upcoming televised June set for June 14.

• The US administration says parliamentary elections must be carried out "as soon as possible"

Sources told Al-Joumhouria newspaper on Tuesday that the US ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly stressed to the head of the Future bloc MP Fouad Siniora and several figures in the March 14 alliance the necessity to carry out the parliamentary elections "as soon as possible."

According to the Daily, the US administration is also pressuring toward the swift formation of a new government, adding that contacts in this regard will intensify in the next few days.

• MP Qanso after meeting President al-Assad:  Syrian regime values Hezbollah's participation in al-Qusayr battle

Head of the Baath bloc MP Assem Qanso told Al-Joumhouria newspaper on Tuesday that Syrian President Bachar al-Assad is "optimist" in regard to the future of Syria.

MP Qanso's statements came following his latest visit to Syrian President Al-Assad, noting that the latter "values Hezbollah's participation in the fighting taking place in Syria."

According to the Daily, MP Qanso said that President Al-Assad wished from President Michel  Sleiman  to put Lebanon's self-dissociation policy aside.

• President Sleiman asks Iran to exert pressure on Hezbollah

Al-Hayat newspaper said on Tuesday that President Michel Sleiman asked from the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to exert pressure on Hezbollah in a bid to withdraw its fighters from Syria.

According to the Daily, President Sleiman made his request to the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi, reiterating Lebanon's self- dissociation policy from the Syrian crisis.

President Sleiman also requested from the Iranian embassy in Lebanon to submit clarification in regard to Sunday's  incident outside the Iranian embassy which reaped the life of one Lebanese national.