Moussa Confirms Quartet Meeting to Take Place Feb. 24

Arab League chief Amr Moussa on Monday confirmed that a quartet meeting between representatives from the Hizbullah-led opposition and pro-government March 14 leaders will take place on Feb. 24 as scheduled.

 

Moussa, in an interview with Future News Channel, said he held contacts with the various Lebanese leaders in this respect and hoped that the political climate in Lebanon would be in favor of backing the Arab League initiative.

 

The Feb. 24 meeting would be the third to be sponsored by Moussa in as many months.

 

Two previous sessions between Moussa, Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun, former President Amin Gemayel and MP Saad Hariri failed to break a presidential election deadlock.

 

Moussa said the quartet meeting will build on what had been agreed upon during the last sessions, adding that other points of differences also needed to be discussed.

 

“We are resuming the Arab initiative and we have no new suggestions,” Moussa said. “I hope there would be a tendency toward electing a president.”

 

Moussa also hoped that he would succeed in bringing the feuding leaders” positions closer “for the best interest of the country and the region and for the benefit of the Arab summit.”

 

Meanwhile, Moussa”s assistant Hisham Youssef pointed to “new ideas” aimed at ending 15-month-long political crisis in Lebanon.

 

Youssef, however, said Lebanon was facing changes.

 

“The situation has become very tense … and therefore quick action is needed,” Youssef said.

 

He said preparations were underway for the two-day Arab summit slated to be held in Damascus March 27-28.

“Preparations are underway, but a summit cannot be held without Lebanon,” Youssef explained. “That”s why we hope that the current crisis would be solved and a President would be elected on Feb. 26 as scheduled.”

 

Arab sources said Moussa was considering dispatching Youssef to Beirut 48 hours ahead of his return to pave the way for the quartet meeting.