Berri: Lebanon needs Saudi-Iranian understanding 'under US umbrella'
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has linked the success of the direct talks with Israel — which begin this Thursday in Washington — to the implementation of a "genuine" ceasefire.
"If a genuine ceasefire is not achieved, it means all is lost," Berri told ad-Diyar in remarks published Thursday.
Berri stated that Lebanon will not accept anything less than the withdrawal of the Israeli army from south Lebanon, followed by reconstruction, the deployment of the Lebanese Army, and the return of displaced residents to their homes.
He added that the country requires a regional and international umbrella, "specifically a Saudi-Iranian understanding or agreement regarding Lebanon, under an American umbrella."
Lebanese and Israeli representatives last met on April 23 at the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump announced a three-week ceasefire extension and voiced optimism for a groundbreaking agreement between the countries, which have technically been at war for decades.
Trump at the time made the bold prediction that during the three-week extension he would welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to Washington for a historic first summit between the countries.
The summit did not happen, with Aoun saying a security deal and an end to Israeli attacks were needed before such a landmark meeting.
Berri said that for Aoun, a meeting with Netanyahu is "out of the question."
Source: Naharnet
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