- 20
- Feb.
- 2024
Quintet Ambassadors Brace for New Rounds of Talks
modified on 11 Apr. 2024 à 15:48 Read : 2 minute(s) A A A
No new initiatives or proposals seem to be looming on the horizon from the members of the Quintet Committee (the United States, Saudi Arabia, France, Qatar and Egypt) regarding Lebanon.
Sources suggest that the Committee's ambassadors' meeting at the French Ambassador’s residence (Résidence des Pins) will not stray from the format of mere consultation and further rounds with Lebanese officials and leaders, which had already started with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
It's worth mentioning that the Quintet’s ambassadors' second meeting was postponed due to Saudi Ambassador Walid al-Bukhari's return to his country after his meeting with Berri.
Information indicates that this second meeting followed recent talks by French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh and Cairo. Le Drian's return to Lebanon is expected either in the last week of February or early March. Reports underscore that while the Quintet's efforts are continuing, progress hinges on Lebanese parties making mutual concessions and engaging in dialogue without preconditions. Such a move could potentially break through the deadlock of the presidential crisis.
In this context, sources indicate that prior to the meeting with Berri, some members of the Quintet Committee had exerted pressure on opposition forces and urged them to consider engaging in dialogue or consultation, as suggested by the Parliament Speaker. They emphasized the importance of agreeing upon the format of such talks and ensuring that Berri would not preside over it.
However, despite these efforts, the Quintet ambassadors did not sway from Berri's stance. The latter asserted his ability to guarantee the convening of Parliament in an open session solely dedicated to electing a president. Notably, certain committee ambassadors had earmarked the month of March as the deadline for achieving this objective.
Bassam Abou Zeid
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