All sides applaud Beirut-Damascus diplomatic ties
Source: Daily Star, 16-10-2008
BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri said Wednesday the establishment of diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria was a natural step toward normal relations between sisterly states.
Berri was speaking following a visit to President Michel Suleiman, after the latter's return from Saudi Arabia.
Berri also said the Constitutional Council law would be adopted by the end of October.
The speaker added that talks with the president also tackled the next national dialogue session and the reconciliations taking place among different Lebanese parties.
Commenting on the president's visit to Saudi Arabia, Berri said: "There is no problem between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, or with Iran. Lebanon should have good relations with all Arab countries."
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora also met with Suleiman on Wednesday. In remarks afterward, he said he was positive about the establishment of diplomatic ties with Syria.
Suleiman also received at his office in Baabda Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri.
Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani called Suleiman on Wednesday to congratulate him on the outcome of his visit to Saudi Arabia, according to a statement issued by the mufti's media office.
Siniora met on Wednesday with UN special coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams, who also met during the day with Suleiman and Berri.
In remarks following the meeting, Williams said: "I have just met with President Suleiman. We had a very good meeting. We discussed several issues, the process of national dialogue and reconciliation in Lebanon itself, the efforts that the president has been making regionally and internationally, tireless efforts, to position Lebanon again regionally and in the world. I met with him in between his visits to Saudi Arabia and his visit to Canada for the important meeting of the Francophonie."
"I also want to say that one of my priorities in the coming months will be to advance the progress of [UN Security Council] Resolution 1701. Tomorrow, I will be visiting UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon and meeting with Major General Claudio Graziano and his officers and touring the area, including the village of Ghajar. The UN Security Council and the secretary general [Ban Ki-moon] want to see progress on 1701 and this is a priority for all of us in the coming months and I am confident that we can achieve progress, he added.
Separately, a Hizbullah delegation that included MPs Ali Ammar and Ali Mokdad paid a visit on Wednesday to MP Michel Murr.
Following the meeting, Ammar stressed the need to boost reconciliation efforts to prevent Lebanon from sinking into the regional and international financial and political crises.
Ammar also denied claims that his party was obstructing reconciliation efforts, adding that Hizbullah supported all reconciliations, including the expected reconciliation between the Lebanese Forces and Marada Movement.
Commenting on Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's visit to Tehran, Ammar said the visit was very important to Lebanon, as Iran played an important role in "strengthening civil peace and national accord."
Murr told reporters that talks focused on the current reconciliation efforts and the preparations for the dialogue session expected to be held on November 5. He added that the Lebanese should promote accord in order to face any financial or security threats.
Murr denied that he was in discord with Aoun, but added that since 1990 he always won in the parliamentary polls and that nothing had changed since.
He described both Aoun's visit to Tehran and Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea's visit to Cairo as important. He said Aoun's visit was aimed at promoting relations of a segment of Lebanon's Christian community with Iran, while Geagea's visit to Cairo was to thank Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for the important role he played in resolving the Lebanese crisis.
Also on Wednesday, Hariri met with US Ambassador Michel Sison, with whom he discussed regional and international developments.
Meanwhile, Aoun said Wednesday that the establishment of diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria would pave the way for a positive phase of relations between the two countries, especially on the security, political and economic levels.
Within his official visit to Iran, Aoun visited on Wednesday Qanat al-Alam news station as well as Iran's official radio and television stations.
Aoun told Qanat al-Alam in an interview that Syria and Lebanon had common interests and that such diplomatic relations would be in the interests of both countries.
Geagea met on Wednesday with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa in Cairo.
In remarks following the meeting, Geagea said he hoped the Syrian-Lebanese ties would be natural relations with mutual respect for both countries' sovereignty and independence.
He added that preparations had started for the upcoming parliamentary polls, stressing the need to abide by the "democratic game" and avoid violence.
The LF leader thanked Moussa for "all the efforts he made over the past few years to resolve the Lebanese crisis," and added: "I would like to thank every Arab country for the aid they offered to the Lebanese government, especially Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates."
Moussa, meanwhile, announced his support for the establishment of diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria, describing it as an "important and historical step."
Meanwhile, the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, headed by MP Mohammad Raad, convened on Wednesday to discuss latest political and security issues.
In a statement issued following the meeting, the bloc expressed its satisfaction over the establishment of diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria, and hoped that this would pave the way for stability in bilateral relations.
Concerning the electoral law, the bloc said it had prepared a draft law to amend Article 21 of the Constitution to lower the voting age to 18.
BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri said Wednesday the establishment of diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria was a natural step toward normal relations between sisterly states.
Berri was speaking following a visit to President Michel Suleiman, after the latter's return from Saudi Arabia.
Berri also said the Constitutional Council law would be adopted by the end of October.
The speaker added that talks with the president also tackled the next national dialogue session and the reconciliations taking place among different Lebanese parties.
Commenting on the president's visit to Saudi Arabia, Berri said: "There is no problem between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, or with Iran. Lebanon should have good relations with all Arab countries."
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora also met with Suleiman on Wednesday. In remarks afterward, he said he was positive about the establishment of diplomatic ties with Syria.
Suleiman also received at his office in Baabda Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri.
Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani called Suleiman on Wednesday to congratulate him on the outcome of his visit to Saudi Arabia, according to a statement issued by the mufti's media office.
Siniora met on Wednesday with UN special coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams, who also met during the day with Suleiman and Berri.
In remarks following the meeting, Williams said: "I have just met with President Suleiman. We had a very good meeting. We discussed several issues, the process of national dialogue and reconciliation in Lebanon itself, the efforts that the president has been making regionally and internationally, tireless efforts, to position Lebanon again regionally and in the world. I met with him in between his visits to Saudi Arabia and his visit to Canada for the important meeting of the Francophonie."
"I also want to say that one of my priorities in the coming months will be to advance the progress of [UN Security Council] Resolution 1701. Tomorrow, I will be visiting UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon and meeting with Major General Claudio Graziano and his officers and touring the area, including the village of Ghajar. The UN Security Council and the secretary general [Ban Ki-moon] want to see progress on 1701 and this is a priority for all of us in the coming months and I am confident that we can achieve progress, he added.
Separately, a Hizbullah delegation that included MPs Ali Ammar and Ali Mokdad paid a visit on Wednesday to MP Michel Murr.
Following the meeting, Ammar stressed the need to boost reconciliation efforts to prevent Lebanon from sinking into the regional and international financial and political crises.
Ammar also denied claims that his party was obstructing reconciliation efforts, adding that Hizbullah supported all reconciliations, including the expected reconciliation between the Lebanese Forces and Marada Movement.
Commenting on Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's visit to Tehran, Ammar said the visit was very important to Lebanon, as Iran played an important role in "strengthening civil peace and national accord."
Murr told reporters that talks focused on the current reconciliation efforts and the preparations for the dialogue session expected to be held on November 5. He added that the Lebanese should promote accord in order to face any financial or security threats.
Murr denied that he was in discord with Aoun, but added that since 1990 he always won in the parliamentary polls and that nothing had changed since.
He described both Aoun's visit to Tehran and Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea's visit to Cairo as important. He said Aoun's visit was aimed at promoting relations of a segment of Lebanon's Christian community with Iran, while Geagea's visit to Cairo was to thank Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for the important role he played in resolving the Lebanese crisis.
Also on Wednesday, Hariri met with US Ambassador Michel Sison, with whom he discussed regional and international developments.
Meanwhile, Aoun said Wednesday that the establishment of diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria would pave the way for a positive phase of relations between the two countries, especially on the security, political and economic levels.
Within his official visit to Iran, Aoun visited on Wednesday Qanat al-Alam news station as well as Iran's official radio and television stations.
Aoun told Qanat al-Alam in an interview that Syria and Lebanon had common interests and that such diplomatic relations would be in the interests of both countries.
Geagea met on Wednesday with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa in Cairo.
In remarks following the meeting, Geagea said he hoped the Syrian-Lebanese ties would be natural relations with mutual respect for both countries' sovereignty and independence.
He added that preparations had started for the upcoming parliamentary polls, stressing the need to abide by the "democratic game" and avoid violence.
The LF leader thanked Moussa for "all the efforts he made over the past few years to resolve the Lebanese crisis," and added: "I would like to thank every Arab country for the aid they offered to the Lebanese government, especially Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates."
Moussa, meanwhile, announced his support for the establishment of diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria, describing it as an "important and historical step."
Meanwhile, the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, headed by MP Mohammad Raad, convened on Wednesday to discuss latest political and security issues.
In a statement issued following the meeting, the bloc expressed its satisfaction over the establishment of diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria, and hoped that this would pave the way for stability in bilateral relations.
Concerning the electoral law, the bloc said it had prepared a draft law to amend Article 21 of the Constitution to lower the voting age to 18.
