Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi lauded on Thursday the exerted efforts to launch dialogue between the political arch-foes to break the ice and reduce tension in Lebanon.

“Dialogue between rival parties would end the ongoing dilemmas in the country,” al-Rahi said in his New Year’s Day sermon at Bkirki.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun is reportedly meeting in person with the media officer at the Lebanese Forces, Melhem Riachi, media reports said on Thursday.

According to Ad Diyar newspaper, Aoun began meeting with Riachi over the past few days.

Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel welcomed the expected talks between Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun and Samir Geagea, the head of the Lebanese Forces.

“We encourage dialogue between all (party) leaderships to salvage the Republic,” Gemayel told al-Mustaqbal newspaper in remarks published on Monday.

Speaker Nabih Berri snapped back at politicians doubting the success of the dialogue underway between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement, urging them to “relax.”

“The wheels are turning and they won't stop,” Berri said in remarks published in local newspapers on Monday.

The French foreign ministry's director for North Africa and the Middle East affairs is expected to travel to Riyadh, Tehran and the Vatican in an attempt to resolve the Lebanese presidential deadlock, pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat reported on Wednesday.

The newspaper said Jean-François Girault will travel to Saudi Arabia on January 5. He is then scheduled to make a trip to Iran and later head to the Vatican for talks with top officials on Lebanon's presidential crisis.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea has said that he “intended” to meet with his rival Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, vowing not to give up on the talks easily.

“There is no set date but the intention is there,” Geagea told al-Akhbar newspaper in an interview published on Monday.

The much-anticipated dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement is scheduled to start on Tuesday, media reports said, although Speaker Nabih Berri did not confirm the date.

Local dailies published on Monday said the representatives of the two parties will meet in Ain el-Tineh under Berri, who will later withdraw from the talks to pave way for the rivals to discuss controversial issues.

Speaker Nabih Berri expressed pessimism on Saturday regarding the new electoral law, considering that the rival parties will not reach consensus over the matter.

“I expect that the 1960 electoral law to remain for a long time,” Berri's visitors quoted him as saying in comments published in al-Joumhouria newspaper.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam expressed ire on Thursday at his 24-member cabinet, considering that the government is hijacked by the political arch-foes as each minister has the right to use the veto power on any decision, including the appointment of cleaning workers.

Despite the complications surrounding him, Salam, according to his visitors' comments in As Safir newspaper, insists on playing a balance role between the rival parties.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun confirmed that he would hold unconditional talks with his rival Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea but refused to give up his candidacy for the presidential post.

Aoun told al-Akhbar daily in an interview published on Thursday that he would meet with Geagea when the LF chief returns from his visit to Riyadh.