Head of Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, on Thursday welcomed the French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian at the bloc’s headquarters in Haret Hreik, Beirut’s Dahiyeh.
The meeting was also attended by Hezbollah’s Head of International and Arab Affairs Sayyed Ammar Moussawi and the French ambassador to Lebanon, Anne Grillo.
Later on, Le Drian held a second meeting during his current visit to Lebanon with House Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain Al-Tineh in presence of Grillo as well.
The French envoy had arrived in Beirut on July 25 and met with the chiefs of the key political blocs in Lebanon in order to enhance the presidential elections.
However, the French initiative collided with the stances of the other four members of the quintet group of states (US, Saudi, Qatar, Egypt) meeting to discuss the Lebanese political crisis.
The recent quintet meeting warned to take punitive measures against the parliamentary blocs hindering the presidential elections in Lebanon, calling on the Lebanese parties to commit to the recommendations of the IMF to cope with the economic crisis.
The G5 escalation imposed on the French diplomacy to withdraw its proposal based on supporting Head of Marada Movement Suleiman Franjiyeh for presidency and the ambassador Nawwaf Salam for premiership.
Le Drian will reportedly return to Lebanon in September to hold a short dialogue with the Lebanese parties in order to conclude an agreement, pertaining the presidential elections.
Hezbollah Stances
Hezbollah Deputy Chief Sheikh Naim Qassem reiterated the Party’s readiness to discuss the proposals of the other political parties pertaining the presidential elections, reporting that the contacts have not reached any progress in this regard.
MP Raad also stressed that the Lebanese political parties must speed up the political solution in order to curb the repercussions of the socioeconomic crisis.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
