Without prior announcement, Acting United States Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, David Satterfield, arrived in Beirut on Monday in a visit that will last two days, Al-Akhbar Lebanese daily reported on Tuesday.
The paper said that the top US diplomat held a dinner late Monday with Lebanese Forces (LF) party ministers, along with Minister Violette Khairallah and her husband, former finance minister Mohammad Safadi.
US ambassador to Lebanon, Elizabeth H. Richard, and UK ambassador, Chris Rampling also attended the meeting on Monday, according to Al-Akhbar.
The meeting was aimed at introducing LF party’s ministers to the top US diplomat, and to “discuss the coming stage in light of the new developments in the region,” the Lebanese daily reported, quoting LF sources as saying.
The LF sources noted that the meeting was not announced “due to security measures.”
Al-Akhbar added that Satterfield will hold talks with Lebanese officials on Tuesday.
For its part, The Daily Star newspaper reported that Satterfield will first meet Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil on Tuesday, followed by meetings with President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
The US diplomat is also set to meet Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt in the afternoon, The Daily Star cited a statement from Joumblatt’s office.
Source: Al-Akhbar Newspaper
