Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun met with Lebanese forces official Melhem Riachi to hand him his comments on the final draft of the "declaration of intent" as dialogue between the Christian rivals is advancing at steady pace.

“We will later on announce new practical steps,” Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan said in comments published in al-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday.

The newly-appointed members of the Banking Control Commission of Lebanon are expected to start their mission despite the absence of a president.

The official Gazette will likely publish the decree of their appointment on Thursday.

Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel blamed Iran on the spread of crises in the region and criticized Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun over his “illogical” stance from the presidential deadlock.

“The (region's) crises began since Iran started to spread its influence in Iraq, Syria and in Lebanon through Hizbullah,” Gemayel told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in an interview published on Wednesday.

A spiritual summit will be held on Monday at the seat of the Maronite church in Bkirki to press forward the election of a new head of state, An Nahar newspaper reported.

The daily said on Wednesday that participants will send a letter to the political arch-foes to rectify the adopted policies to serve citizens.

Speaker Nabih Berri has expected positive developments in the presidential deadlock after a possible deal over Iran's nuclear program.

Al-Mustaqbal daily on Monday quoted Berri as saying that any agreement between the P5+1 group of powers and Tehran would lead to a

Speaker Nabih Berri has said the presidential crisis has become an obsession, stressing that his repeated calls for parliamentary sessions to elect a new head of state are aimed at pushing MPs into assuming their responsibilities.

Berri's visitors quoted him as saying that the presidential crisis has not only become a “national obsession but it is his daily concern.”

A meeting was held between Free Patriotic Movement MP Ibrahim Kanaan and Lebanese Forces official Melhem Riachi to discuss the “final touches” on the “declaration of intent” paper between the two parties, al-Mustaqbal newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The two officials added an 18th article to the document of principles during the meeting, which was held on Tuesday night.

A number of ministers noted on Tuesday that the role of the cabinet “will remain crippled” in light of the presidential vacuum.

The so-called “consultative gathering” urged after talks at former President Michel Suleiman's residence Prime Minister Tammam Salam “to continue with his methodology in taking government decisions.”

The Maronite bishops synod called Saturday on the Arab and Islamic countries to aid Lebanon and help it resolve its crises that were caused by the war raging in the Middle East.

“The Arab and Islamic countries should assume their historic responsibilities to combat extremism and fanaticism and preserve the Christians' existence in the region,” the synod said in its final statement that was read by Maronite Bishop of Batroun Mounir Khairallah.

Speaker Nabih Berri has expressed satisfaction with the government's performance and vowed to call for several parliamentary sessions to approve draft-laws, among them the controversial wage scale for the public sector.

Local dailies on Friday quoted Berri as saying that the cabinet's appointment of the members of the Banking Control Commission of Lebanon (BCCL) encourages the government to be more productive.