Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday snapped back at Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil over accusations related to the possibility of holding dialogue over the country’s next president.

“Dialogue requires advocates of dialogue,” Geagea tweeted, responding to Bassil’s remarks.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi said Friday that Monday's caretaker cabinet session "shouldn't have happened" especially that many parties were absent.

A caretaker cabinet session was held on Monday despite being boycotted by the Free Patriotic Movement and the Tashnag party, triggering tensions between long-time allies Hezbollah and the FPM as MP Jebran Bassil blasted Hezbollah for attending the session and the latter responded that Bassil's comments were "inappropriate" and "unwise".

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Friday visited Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkirki and called for an agreement on the country’s new president.

“I continued with Patriarch al-Rahi the discussion of the issue of the presidency and the agreement on a candidate and I call on everyone to agree on a name,” Bassil said after the meeting.

The British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamish Cowell, has visited the city of Tripoli for the first time. The visit aimed at understating the impact of the socioeconomic crisis on Tripolitans, and how UK funded projects are supporting livelihoods and community cohesion, the British Embassy said in a statement.

Ambassador Cowell met a range of individuals working to promote reconciliation, social cohesion and opportunities for young people in Lebanon’s second city, the statement said. This included the Tripoli Mayor Engineer Ahmad Kamareddine, security officials, project partners and beneficiaries, and U.N. agencies.

The Free Patriotic Movement on Thursday issued a rare statement criticizing its ally Hezbollah by name in connection with the controversy over the latest caretaker cabinet session.

“The last thing we wanted was to engage in a media exchange with Hezbollah, but the truth obliges us to clarify it and say that what was mentioned in the statement of Hezbollah’s media relations department was very ambiguous and carried a contradiction between keenness on the unanimity of the government’s components in taking decisions while not applying this to the attendance of sessions,” the FPM’s central media and communication committee said in a statement.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced Thursday that he would turn next week’s presidential election session into a parliamentary dialogue if the blocs agree to such a move.

“I will explore the opinion of all colleagues and parliamentary blocs regarding the issue of dialogue. If it turns out to be positive, I will turn next Thursday’s session into a dialogue session in parliament,” Berri said.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday denied a media report claiming that he had mediated with security agencies to prevent the arrest of the actress Stephanie Saliba at the Rafik Hariri International Airport.

“What al-Akhbar newspaper has reported about an interference by PM Mikati in a file related to Ms. Stephanie Saliba is totally baseless,” Mikati’s press office said in a statement.

Lebanon’s Civil Aviation Director General Fadi al-Hassan on Thursday denied a media report claiming that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard might take advantage of the flights of Iranian airline Meraj to transfer arms and sensitive equipment to Hezbollah.

“This report is baseless,” al-Hassan told al-Jadeed television.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Thursday that any presidential candidate backed by Hezbollah would lead to "a further collapse."

Geagea reiterated his categorical rejection to the election of Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil or Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh.

The Free Patriotic Movement-led Strong Lebanon bloc might vote for its member MP Ibrahim Kanaan in the upcoming presidential election session, MP Salim Aoun said on Thursday.

“The FPM has several choices, including MP Ibrahim Kanaan, but they are not limited to him,” Aoun said, in an interview with Radio Voice of All Lebanon.