Hizbullah, PSP Agree to Improve Ties, Deal Calmly with Differences

A meeting was held between Hizbullah and Progressive Socialist Party officials on Wednesday to set the stage for improved ties between the Shiite party leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and PSP chief Walid Jumblat, An Nahar daily reported.

Minister Wael Abou Faour, who is a PSP official, told As Safir newspaper on Thursday that the meeting came as part of dialogue between the two sides and keenness to improve bilateral relations.

Discussions focused on the local situation and regional developments, he said.

The meeting was held at the home of Minister Ghazi Aridi, who is loyal to Jumblat, and was attended by Hizbullah Ministers Mohammed Fneish and Hussein al-Hajj Hassan, MP Hassan Fadlallah and another Hizbullah official Wafiq Safa.

Other than Aridi and Abou Faour, MP Akram Shehayyeb was part of the delegation that represented Jumblat in the talks.

Abou Faour said that the two sides agreed to resolve their dispute on controversial issues and deal with them in a calm manner.

In remarks to Tele Liban on Thursday, Aridi denied that Hizbullah-PSP relations were strained.

He stressed the importance of preserving the ties between the two parties to guarantee stability in the country.

According to As Safir, the conferees agreed to consolidate stability, strengthen the work of the government, engage in dialogue and protect Lebanon from the negative repercussions of the regional turmoil.

The newspaper also quoted sources close to Hizbullah as saying that the meeting was “friendly” and included a “beneficial dialogue” on several issues locally and regionally.