Report: 'Phoenicia Meeting' Catches Spotlight Ahead of Elections
While political circles monitor the atmosphere of meetings held recently by Saudi royal envoy Nizar al-Aloula in Lebanon, a closed-door meeting between him and Saudi charge d'affaires Walid al-Bukhari, PM Saad Hariri, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat caught the public attention as relations have been strained between the Lebanese parties.
LF sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, told al-Joumhouria daily on Thursday the five-member meeting held on Tuesday at the Phoenicia Hotel “focused on three key points.”
“The first point relates to the elections, and the fact that electoral alliances have been completed which implies that Saudi Arabia does not want to interfere in the details of Lebanon's political life. So, in practice, the meeting came after all the doors of alliances were closed and there was no possibility of going back,” said the sources.
“The second point focused on the need for communication and coordination between the LF, PSP and al-Mustaqbal Movement because it is a national necessity. The Kingdom supports the State project in Lebanon and is keen at the same time to support Lebanese leaders who back this project, primarily Hariri, Geagea and Jumblat,” they added.
“Third, the regional challenges and the crisis in Syria were reviewed in light of Saudi-Lebanese keenness on prioritizing Lebanon's stability,” emphasized the sources, assuring that “political confrontations will proceed until the establishment of a true State in Lebanon and until corruption is confronted.”
The “Phoenicia meeting” came following the inauguration ceremony of King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Avenue in Beirut's Minet El Hosn area.
The ceremony was held in the presence of Hariri, Geagea, Jumblat, al-Aloula, al-Bukhari and several officials.
Mustaqbal-LF ties took a U-turn in November after Hariri's resignation from Riyadh which he rescinded later. Reports have alleged that Geagea was partly to blame for the move.
Saudi Arabia meant to bring the “strained” Lebanese parties together in a bid to "revive" the March 14 alliance camp, reports said.
Lebanon's elections will be held on May 6.
Source: Naharnet
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