DAILY SCOPE: Zarif in Lebanon on Tuesday, Diplomats Advise Lebanon to Be ‘Wise’

Local Editor

NEWSPAPER HEADLINES:

AS-SAFIR:

Syria "Russian dossier", Yemen Saudi... Lebanon not yet settled!

Legendary Inauguration of "New Suez Canal": Economic, Political Messages to the Inside and Outside

Zarif, Jubair and Moallem to Moscow... Amman meeting under Riyadh, Washington's blessing

AN-NAHAR:

Triple Extension Goes by Smoothly

Change and Reform Bloc to Respond to "Coup" Saturday

AL-JOMHOURIA:

Extending Qahwaji's Term Opens New Stage... Controversial Issues on the Table

AL-AKHBAR:

Aoun to the Street Next Week

Lebanese dailies on Friday focused on the repercussions of the extension of military officials' terms in Lebanon and the reaction that will result from such a decision on the internal arena. On the regional and international levels, the foreign ministers of three major players, Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia are most likely to come together in a trilateral meeting under Moscow's patronage which may result in resolving some of the tension in the region.

Moscow to Host Trilateral Meetings on Region -- AS-SAFIR

As-Safir newspaper revealed on Friday that Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem will head to Moscow next Monday, a few hours before the Saudi FM Adel al-Jubeir arrives to the Russian Capital in a visit that is allegedly in preparation of the visit of king Salman bin Abdul Aziz at the end of the year.

Thereupon, the paper questioned if there is any chance of a Saudi-Syrian meeting under Russian patronage, stressing there is no clear answer to this question especially since the Syrian daily, al-Watan, had said there is a possibility of a trilateral meeting between the Syrian, Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers in Muscat.

Moreover, As-Safir newspaper quoted informed Syrian media sources as saying "this is not the final possibility, the grounds to anything are the Moscow meetings. Yet there is a possibility that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif might go to Moscow in the coming week, knowing that he will visit Beirut on Tuesday and it is very likely that he will visit the Syrian capital the day after."

Diplomats Advise Wisdom on Appointment Dispute -- AL-JOMHOURIYA

Several top diplomats have advised Lebanese officials to avoid moves that would strike the country's stability over a dispute on the appointment of top military and security officials, al-Jomhouriya newspaper reported on Friday.

The daily said that the diplomats, mainly US Ambassador David Hale and Russia's Ambassador Alexander Zasypkin, delivered messages to several Lebanese officials on "the importance of respecting the current stability, and not involving the country in any adventure whose repercussions are not known."

It said that the ambassadors advised Aoun to be "wise" and resort to political opposition for certain controversial issues rather than the streets, warning that street protests would jeopardize the country's stability, harm the military institution and paralyze the government.

The FPM has been holding intense consultations ahead of an extraordinary meeting for Aoun's Change and Reform bloc on Saturday aimed at issuing a stance from a decision taken by Defense Minister Samir Moqbel to extend the terms of top military officials.

The FPM has been for months announcing its rejection of extensions, calling for the appointment of new high-ranking military and security officials.

Hizbullah's Bloc Reflects Nuclear Deal's Positive Environment --- AL-AKHBAR

The Free Patriotic Movement of MP Michel Aoun was on Friday holding intense consultations to come up with a strategy to confront a decision by Defense Minister Samir Moqbel to extend the terms of top military officials. Aoun's Change and Reform bloc is expected to announce its official stance following an extraordinary meeting in Rabieh on Saturday.

Moqbel extended on Friday the terms of the Army commander, chief of staff and the head of the Higher Defense Council despite months of objections by the FPM, which rejects the extension of the tenures of high-ranking military and security officials.

Sources told al-Akhbar newspaper that "Aoun will not back off," stressing that the decision to extend the terms of the army's top brass will be met with "bigger escalation."

The sources accused Moqbel of turning his back at an initiative made by General Security Chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim to resolve the dispute on the appointments. The initiative, which allegedly received the blessing of Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, calls for raising the retirement age of army and security officers for three years.

On the same note, al-Akhbar newspaper said that Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance bloc issued a statement after its weekly meeting on Thursday, saying that "The current priority is for ending the presidential vacuum and we support any initiative aimed at reviving the parliament's legislative role."

The bloc said that "the pressing, extraordinary circumstances that the country is going through necessitate a careful approach that would allow the current government to take the necessary measures to cater to the interests of the Lebanese people and state."

According to informed sources, this statement implies the importance of benefitting from the positive environment of the nuclear deal on the regional level, which will become clearer with the visit of Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif to Lebanon and possibly Syria this week.

At the same time, the bloc noted that "consensus" must be preserved in the cabinet's sessions, calling on rival parties not to "take lightly the stances and political weights of the forces that should be partners in decision-making."

Source: al-Ahed News, Edited by website team