Kataeb Party chief Sami Gemayel stressed Wednesday that it is important to speed up the election but not to surrender to Hezbollah's candidate.

"We will not give up," Gemayel said, adding that he will boycott any session that would elect Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh. "We will secure the blocking one-third in such an electoral session."

Sources close to the Shiite Duo have ruled out a presidential agreement between the opposition and Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil, seeing as such a deal would come at the expense of the latter’s relation with Hezbollah.

“Should the FPM leader decide to agree with (Lebanese Forces chief Samir) Geagea and his allies over a common candidate, be him Jihad Azour or someone else, that will lead to severing the last fine thread that is still linking him to Hezbollah,” the sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Wednesday.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib met Wednesday with his Syrian counterpart Faisal al-Miqdad on the sidelines of the Arab foreign ministers' meeting in Jeddah.

"The meeting was cordial," al-Miqdad said, adding that all refugees are welcome back to Syria and should return.

Maronite Patriarch Beshra al-Rahi has received an official invitation to Paris to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, Bkerki's spokesperson Walid Ghayyad said.

Ghayyad told MTV that the date of the visit has not yet been set.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri met Wednesday in Ain el-Tineh over the upcoming Arab League Summit in Jeddah.

"We discussed the points that I will raise at the Summit," Mikati said. "The meeting, like usual, was positive," he added.

Ex-minister Jihad Azour has refused to be a “confrontation” presidential candidate, a media report said on Wednesday.

“He has informed the relevant parties that he will not accept to be elected except through consensus and that success should be guaranteed,” al-Akhbar newspaper reported.

"There is no agreement yet with the Lebanese Forces," a Free Patriotic Movement MP said.

MP Jimmy Jabbour explained that there is an ongoing dialogue with the LF and that the current situation requires an agreement on a presidential candidate.

Hezbollah liaison and coordination officer Wafiq Safa has not met with Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil, contrary to the latest reports in this regard, media reports said.

“No appointment was set and no appointment was canceled and there is even no communication,” MTV reported.

Kataeb Party chief Sami Gemayel has denied that he is mediating between Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil in the presidential file.

“I’m also not promoting (the candidacy) of Jihad Azour and I have not visited Bassil nor talked to him, but the communication channels between us are open,” Gemayel said in remarks to MTV.

A French investigative judge Tuesday issued an international arrest warrant for Lebanon's embattled central bank governor after he didn't show up for questioning in France on corruption charges, a Western diplomat said.

Longtime central bank Gov. Riad Salameh was supposed to appear before French prosecutors Tuesday as part of an ongoing European probe. Lebanese officials have not confirmed receipt of the arrest warrant or commented on the development.