DAILY SCOPE: Hizbullah-Future Dialogue, Nuclear Negotiations Extension...

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:

AS-SAFIR:

Seniora Awaits ‘Rules', Khalil Awaits ‘Agenda' 

Hizbullah-Future Dialogue Discusses ‘Mechanisms' 

Iran and the West: Nuclear File Extended, Political Pending 

AL-AKHBAR:

"Israel" Plunges in Darkness in Two Minutes 

Lebanese Forces: Aoun Initiative ‘logical' 

AL-JOMHOURIYA:

Future-Hizbullah Dialogue without Conditions 

AL-MUSTAQBAL:

Abou Faour confirms Sabra samples "disgusting" 

DAILY STAR:

Hizbullah-Future Dialogue Soon: Amal Official 

THE GUARDIAN:

Iran nuclear talks: Philip Hammond promises ‘last big push' in Vienna

The effort of Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri to remove the impediments that stand in the way of a Hizbullah-Future dialogue are ongoing. In addition to the ongoing food security storm hitting Lebanon, there is also witnesses a winter storm on Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, papers reported that the Iran-West talks seem to head towards extension, with no major deal to take place. 

"Lebanon still does not have a president for the 184th day," As-Safir wrote, reporting that head of the Parliament Nabih Berri has doubled his effort to bring Hizbullah and the Future party together on a dual dialogue table to allow an agreement between the two sides, and to limit the repercussions of the regional and international situations on Lebanon. 

Well-informed sources told As-Safir this step was very difficult to happen if it were not for the efforts of House Speaker Nabih Berri. More than two weeks ago, a meeting including Berri and Seniora took place in presence of Nader Hariri, in which Seniora pointed out the ‘many' differences and points of conflict between the Future party and Hizbullah. In response Berri addressed Seniora saying "For these very reasons there should be dialogue between you and Hizbullah, otherwise there is no need for the dual talks."

In the same context, head of the Future Bloc Fouad Seniora told As-Safir "Enough time should be given to preparations for the talks... I think that MP Saad Hariri will give details on the dialogue process next Thursday in a televised speech." 

For his part, political advisor to Hizbullah Secretary General, Haj Hussein Khalil, told As-Safir newspaper "We still believe in the policy of reaching out [a hand] that was launched by Hizbullah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. We said earlier, and reiterate now that we support an unconditioned dialogue."

For its part, An-Nahar newspaper noted that Lebanon awaits either the ‘announcement' or ‘hampering' of dialogue between Hizbullah and the Future party. The paper notes that despite the discrete attitude of Hizbullah on the matter, close sources from the party told An-Nahar that the Syrian war and the presidential elections are not included in the dialogue. 

Al-Liwaa newspaper for its part wrote that the Future party delegation that had been on a visit to France, came back with a positive feedback on the dialogue with Hizbullah. The delegation included Head of the Future Bloc Fouad Seniora, Interior Minister Nuhad Mashnouq and Nader Hariri. Informed sources, according to the paper, said the ambiance is reassuring on the presidential elections issue, dialogue with Hizbullah, and other domestic issues. 

Al-Joumhouria, citing knowledgeable sources, said Hariri was getting ready for a trip to Paris within the coming hours for preparatory in the wake of a "limited initiative" the former premier plans to launch to tackle some aspects of the Lebanese crisis. They did not elaborate.
The sources said Hariri would meet a number of aides and advisors as well as media friends in the French capital ahead of his Thursday appearance on Marcel Ghanem's Kalam Al-Nas talk show.

They said Hariri will likely hold a lengthy meeting with former President Michel Sleiman, who will travel from the Vatican to Paris for talks with French President Francois Holland Thursday, hours before the television interview.

Meanwhile, local daily Al-Liwaa quoted a Future Movement source as saying Hariri would clarify "many sticking points."

The Daily Star on Monday quoted an Amal movement official saying that the much-awaited talks between Hezbollah and the Future Movement will take place shortly. 

"Don't anticipate things on the issue of dialogue between Hezbollah and Future," Nabih Berri's advisor, Ali Hamdan told a local radio station, while stressing that "things are moving on the right track."

He said both leaders Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and Hariri have announced their intention to hold dialogue.

"Preparations for dialogue are in full swing, and in my opinion I don't think it will be long before a dialogue is launched between Hezbollah and Future," Hamdan said. 

He said efforts were focused on achieving the "best start for such a dialogue."
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Lebanese and International papers discussed the Iranian nuclear file, noting that it is more likely an extension of the negotiations is to take place. Iran, the United States and other world powers are discussing an extension to Monday's midnight deadline for a deal to resolve a 12-year standoff over Tehran's atomic ambitions, Western and Iranian officials said.

"Our focus remains on taking steps forward toward an agreement, but it is only natural that just over 24 hours from the deadline, we are discussing a range of options both internally and with our P5+1 partners," a senior State Department official said on condition of anonymity, adding, "An extension is one of those options."

Top negotiators of Iran, the US and the EU have held another trilateral meeting ahead of the Monday deadline for Tehran and the P5+1 group of world powers to ink a final nuclear deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, his US counterpart John Kerry and EU nuclear negotiator Catherine Ashton sat down for talks at Vienna's Coburg Hotel on Sunday. 

Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Ministers Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht-e-Ravanchi held talks with delegates from China and the US as well as Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Ashton's deputy Helga Schmid.

The parties have been holding talks in Vienna over the past six days to hammer out a comprehensive deal on Tehran's nuclear energy program. Diplomats say the two sides have made progress but big gaps still remain.

For his part, Kerry said on Saturday: "We're working hard, and we hope we're making careful progress, but we have big gaps, we still have some serious gaps, which we're working to close."
US Secretary of State who on Friday postponed a trip to Paris to remain in Vienna for the talks, met Iranian Zarif on Saturday afternoon, their fourth meeting in three days.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, also in the Austrian capital, called this final weekend of talks, after months of negotiations, a "moment of truth".

The Gurdian on Monday reported that UK foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, promised a "last big push' on Monday morning to complete a nuclear agreement with Iran, but warned that negotiators in Vienna are still a long way apart.

Hammond was speaking at the end of an intensive weekend of talks which brought foreign ministers to the Austrian capital in an effort to achieve a breakthrough on the last scheduled day of nine months of negotiations.

Western diplomats said that achieving a comprehensive deal in the last 24 hours was looking increasingly difficult, but added that none of the seven countries represented in Vienna was willing to allow the negotiations to collapse given the progress that had been made and the dire consequences of failure for Middle East stability.