Minsiter Mitri: There is no initiative for Lebanon but the Arab initiative
Culture Minister Tarek Mitri said that “there is no initiative in Lebanon but the Arab initiative” as a solution to the current crisis, which has left the country without a president since Emile Lahoud stepped down in November 2007.
Mitri described the initiative as “the only realistic formula that summarizes the problems of existing political
differences in Lebanon,” adding that it has received Arab and international support.
In a statement made after a meeting of the European-Lebanese Partnership Council in Brussels, Mitri noted that
Europeans want the Arab initiative to “fortify” Lebanon’s position. “Europeans do not want to provide
alternatives or give the impression that there is weakness in the Arab initiative, but they want to cooperate with the initiative as we are approaching the date of the Arab Summit.”
Mitri said it was “premature” to speculate whether the Arab Summit will bring about the election of a new president for Lebanon, adding that it was something all parties desired. He said he supports efforts to elect a president before the Arab Summit.
“We ask our friends, the Europeans, to play a more coherent role and to speak with one voice,” he said. Europe, he added, has done a lot for peace in the region within the boundaries of international legitimacy and in line with the Arab peace initiative.
“Lebanon relied heavily on European assistance through Paris III, but we could not employ all the funds allocated to Lebanon because of the institutional and parliamentary vacuum.”
Mitri said the current government prefers to keep matters of economic reform, such as the privatization of the telecommunications sector, on hold, as they could “further complicate the situation on the ground.”
Minister Mitri expressed the hope that the parliamentary meeting scheduled for February 26 results in the election of a president, thereby rectifying the “unacceptable” situation in Lebanon today.