Report: Baabda Snubbed Feltman

Baabda Palace has reportedly snubbed visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman after the failure of President Michel Suleiman to meet with any U.S. official during his visit to New York in September.

An Nahar daily said Thursday that the presidential palace did not set a date for talks between Suleiman and Feltman as a retaliation to the failure to hold any meeting between the Lebanese head of a state and U.S. officials on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in September.

But informed sources said no date was set between the two officials due to Suleiman’s scheduled visit to Armenia on Thursday.

The visiting diplomat held talks with Premier Najib Miqati and Democratic Renewal Movement leader former MP Nassib Lahoud on Wednesday. An Nahar said that he had dinner with former Minister Michel Khoury and several intellectuals.

Feltman handed Miqati a letter from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which, according to the newspaper, she expressed “gladness” that the premier had transferred Lebanon’s share of funds to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

“I appreciate the steps that you have taken as prime minister to stress that Lebanon is committed to its international obligations,” An Nahar quoted Clinton as saying in the letter.

The implementation of “Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701 in addition to the full cooperation with the STL fall in Lebanon’s interest and contribute to regional stability,” she said.

Clinton reiterated the U.S. commitment to the independence and sovereignty of Lebanon.

On Thursday, Feltman held talks with Speaker Nabih Berri and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat and will later meet with March 14 leaders over dinner.