Mitchell in Beirut Sunday to Discuss Peace Process with Suleiman
U.S. special Mideast envoy George Mitchell will visit Beirut on Sunday to discuss with President Michel Suleiman negotiations on the peace process, An Nahar newspaper reported.
The daily said Tuesday that Mitchell will ask Suleiman during his few hour visit, about Lebanon”s possible participation in peace negotiations if the Palestinian-Israeli and Syrian-Israeli talks resumed.
Diplomatic sources told An Nahar that the envoy will not meet with Speaker Nabih Berri and Premier Fouad Saniora because both participated in the elections and the cabinet is a caretaker government.
Official sources said the Lebanese government has nothing to discuss about with Israel for the time being. The Jewish State has to implement Security Council resolutions on Shebaa Farms and Kfarshouba hills, stop violations of Lebanese airspace and hand over remaining maps on minefields and cluster bombs, the sources added.
They told An Nahar that Suleiman will inform Mitchell about Israel”s procrastination on withdrawing from the border village of Ghajar.
A senior Obama administration official confirmed to The Associated Press that Mitchell plans to travel to Syria and Lebanon this week.
The visit would follow elections last weekend in Lebanon in which the March 14 coalition defeated Hizbullah and its allies.
The official said Monday that Mitchell would visit Damascus and Beirut after meetings with Israeli and Palestinian Authority leaders expected on Tuesday and Wednesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Mitchell”s exact itinerary has not been finalized.
The visits to Syria and Lebanon will be Mitchell”s first to the two nations since he took up his position as U.S. special Mideast envoy.