Moussa succeeds in arranging Hariri – Aoun meeting

 

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa succeeded in arranging a meeting between Lebanon’s parliament majority leader MP Saad Hariri and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.

 

Former president Amine Gemayel started the meeting first with Aoun but were joined minutes later by Moussa and Hariri.

 

The meeting started around 3:30 PM local time and is being held inside the parliament building.

 

Moussa on Wednesday held separate talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Premier Fouad Saniora , MP Saad Hariri, MP Michel Murr and leaders of the March 14 coalition.

 

The daily An Nahar on Thursday quoted a source close to Berri as saying that the main objective of Moussa”s mission was an attempt to get Aoun and Hariri together.

 

The source said that if Moussa succeeded in getting the two warring leaders together, then there would be no need for a broad inter-Lebanese dialogue.

 

But if Moussa”s bid failed, the source said that the Arab League chief would then go ahead with the prospect of convening national dialogue in parliament.

 

Moussa on Wednesday urged the Lebanese to “hope for the best, and will expect the best.”

“I have said that we”ll do our best,” Moussa added.

 

Moussa told reporters that he would return to Lebanon after a visit to Syria, scheduled tentatively for Friday.

“Tomorrow I”ll talk,” Moussa told reporters who showered him with questions about success prospects of his mission.