After meeting Raad, Le Drian meets Berri for second time
French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian met Thursday with Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad in Haret Hreik and with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri for a second time in Ain el-Tineh.
Le Drian arrived Tuesday in Lebanon to help resolve divisions that have left the presidency vacant for nearly nine months and met with Berri, who said that the meeting was "good" and that "an opening has pierced through" Lebanon's power vacuum.
On Wednesday he met with Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil, Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.
The FPM said that Le Drian proposed to return in September to restart consultations in order to agree on a presidential program before agreeing on an eligible candidate, adding that successive parliamentary sessions would follow.
Lebanese lawmakers failed 12 times to elect a successor to former president Michel Aoun amid bitter disputes between Hezbollah and its opponents.
On July 17, representatives of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United States, France and Qatar gathered in Doha to discuss Lebanon, urging parliament to choose a president and politicians to "take immediate steps to break the impasse".
Le Drian came to Lebanon last month for the first time as France's envoy, meeting key figures on a "consultative" mission to push for a solution to the protracted political deadlock.
Source: Naharnet, Agence France Presse
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