DAILY SCOPE: HIZBULLAH-FUTURE DIALOGUE...TODAY

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:

AS-SAFIR:

Will Lebanon Escape Saudi-Iranian Clash?

AL-AKHBAR:

FUTURE: Goal of Dialogue to Drag Aoun, Geagea

AN-NAHAR:
Two Mediators Competing on Hostages File, Without Official Designation
Larijani: We Want Solution Makes Presidential File See Light

AL-MUSTAQBAL:

"Future"- "Hizbullah" Dialogue Kicks Off at Night on "Bases" of Easing Tension and Ending Vacancy

Tehran Inspects Vacuum......And Ain el Tineh Sponsors "Break the Ice"

DAILY STAR:

Future, Hizbullah to Break the Ice

Newspapers on Tuesday tackled a few topics that have been making the headlines for the past week, topped by the Future-Hizbullah dialogue which will be launched Tuesday night.

Also, among the topics is the regional visit of Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, arriving to Lebanon on Monday. Also, the army hostages file has not been absented from Lebanese newspapers as it remains a major concern to all sides in Lebanon.

Starting with al-Akhbar newspaper, Hizbullah Secretary General advisor Huseein Khalil assured that the party is committed to head of the Free Patriotic Movement Gen. Michel Aoun, reiterating it has been adherent to this position since three years.

In an interview with al-Akhbar daily, Khalil said "Together in partnership with outstretched hands policy is still valid. Our hand is always extended to our partners in the country".

Al-Khalil will be taking part in the dialogue to be held in Ain al Tineh on Tuesday night. Moreover, Khalil said the four-point agenda agreed on included diffusing sectarian tensions and political rhetoric, fighting terrorism, activating the work of state institutions and facilitating the election of a new president for Lebanon.
"We are heading for talks (with Future Movement) and we have nothing to be ashamed of," Khalil told the newspaper.

The Hizbullah official said that the party will engage in dialogue to bridge the gap and reach common grounds, and "if reaching solutions fails, then at least we could organize our differences."

Al-Khalil expressed optimism over the dialogue session's agenda, further noting "In Hizbullah's perspective, the presidential election issue is the easiest."

Speaking to The Daily Star Monday, a Hizbullah official said that the party would be represented in the talks by Hussein Khalil, the political aide to party leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, along with Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan and MP Hassan Fadlallah.

An-Nahar newspaper for its part said that the Future party and Hizbullah will sit face to face today at 6:00 p.m. in Ain el Tineh to start dialogue. Sources told the paper that the session will be of general nature, and no major details will be discussed before the end of the holidays. Informed sources told An-Nahar that the agenda will be practically prepared after the first meeting, which aims at spreading positive ambiance in the country.

Meanwhile, Lebanon awaits on Turkey to decide whether it will join efforts to secure the release of the 25 soldiers who were abducted by the terrorist groups al-Nusra Front and Daesh and are still held hostage in the outskirts of Arsal. A source told the Daily Star that security authorities sent a letter to Ankara about ten days ago, asking for help in finding a solution to the hostage crisis.

¬ The source was not optimistic about solving the crisis anytime soon, saying that the abductors "are not serious and are divided among themselves and do not want to free the hostages."

On another hand, at least one or two of the 25 abducted soldiers will be released soon, said Arsal mayor Ali Hujairi in an interview published by al-Jomhouriya Lebanese daily.

"Within the coming few hours, you will hear good news. I am not saying a swap deal is going to happen, but at least one or two of the hostages will be freed in a day or so," he told the daily.

Source: Lebanese dailies