National dialogue mechanism set by the Doha Agreement
The head of the Future Movement on Monday said that Lebanon, “which has long suffered interference in its affairs and has been subject to successive waves of vandalism of and aggression on its territories and sovereignty,” was counting on Arab solidarity as the top strategic option to overcome all challenges the country was facing.
MP Saad Hariri welcomed the news of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora’s upcoming visit to Iraq and said he was happy with Siniora’s talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
“We are confident that the latest Egyptian-Saudi summit between Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and President Mubarak is a step toward the protection of Arab interests,” Hariri said in a statement.
Hariri said the next round of national dialogue in Lebanon would take place “in accordance with the mechanism set by the Doha Agreement” and added that any attempts to neglect the Doha mechanism was an attempt to circumvent the dialogue, whose agenda, he said “is clear and specific.”
Hariri drew attention to the importance of strengthening Arab relations in this delicate stage of the history of the region. “The challenges Arab countries face, and the ongoing attempts to … create multiple divisions” highlighted the need to “protect the Arab identity and confront regional hubs and external interference,” he added.
“The Arab political scene, from Lebanon to Iraq to Palestine and even some North African countries, reveals the size of the plot targeting the Arab arena,” Hariri stated.
The Future leader commented on news of an Iranian violation of the Abu Moussa island in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Hariri expressed his full solidarity with the UAE and condemned Iran’s violation of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, which was signed in 1971. He added that the incident only intensified the need for a “wide, responsible Arab stance and the re-consideration of Arab solidarity to stop the cycle.”