Berri rips "Israeli" violations at Euro-Mediterranean summit

Source: The Daily Star, 29-03-2008
BEIRUT: Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri along with MPs Yassine Jabre and Walid Khoury visited the Greek capital on Friday for the fourth Euro-Mediterranean general parliamentary meeting. During the gathering presided over by the speaker of the Greek Parliament, Dimitris Sioufas, the main parties discussed Euro-Mediterranean parliaments' role "in serving different issues such as human rights, politics, security, environment, economy and society."
Political figures from both sides of the Mediterranean Sea gave speeches: Greek Premier and Foreign Minister Kostas Karamanlis, European Parliament Speaker Hans-Gert Poettering, EU presidency representative and Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitri Rupel, Tunisian Speaker Fouad al-Mbazaa and Egyptian Speaker Ahmad Fathi Sorour.
Following the meeting, Berri, Jabre, Mahmoud Berri and communications adviser Ali Hamdan received a delegation headed by Poettering.
The two delegations discussed the Lebanese crisis and the Arab League intervention as well as Berri's call to re-establish dialogue.
Berri talked about 'Israel's' violations to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 as well as the Jewish state's refusal to hand over to the Lebanese authorities a map of cluster bombs dropped during its 2006 war on Lebanon.
The delegations also discussed manners to strengthen Euro-Mediterranean ties and Berri invited the European Parliament speaker to visit Lebanon.
Berri postponed on Monday the 17th Parliament session to elect a new president for Lebanon as the ruling coalition and the opposition remain deadlocked on the make-up of a future government and the shape of a new electoral law.
Meanwhile, Berri said Sunday that he would call rival politicians to engage in a national dialogue if an Arab summit later this week fails to resolve the country's political crisis.
"If no solution is found to the Lebanese crisis after the Arab summit, I will hold consultations with Arab countries such as Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia ... in order to convene dialogue meetings," Berri said.
"The agenda of these meetings will focus on the formation of a national unity government and the drafting of a new electoral law," he added
Berri said that he would launch invitations for a national dialogue in May, adding that he hoped "all the [feuding] parties will respond to this call."