Asiri Says Stability, Presidential Elections Priority at Any Dialogue

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri expressed hope on Thursday that dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal Movement would include all the Lebanese factions, setting the presidential elections and the country's security and stability as a priority.

“The kingdom views dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal as a positive step that should include all the Lebanese,” Asiri said in comments published in the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper.

He noted that coexistence is “a clear invitation for the Lebanese to engage in a comprehensive dialogue to maintain stability and reach a compromise presidential candidate.”

Lebanon has been without a head of state since May when President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ended amid a failure to find a successor over differences between the rival March 8 and March 14 alliances on a compromise candidate.

Asiri said that any dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal should prioritize Lebanon's security and stability.

“The presidential vacuum doesn't suit Lebanon.”

The Saudi diplomat also called for a dialogue between Christian parties, expressing belief that the sharp rift between Christians harms Lebanon.

The ambassador reiterated that his country will not intervene in any dialogue between any two Lebanese factions.

Speaker Nabih Berri has been seeking to kick off dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal Movement to decrease the Sunni-Shiite tension in the country.

Several preparatory meetings have been held between Berri's aide Ali Hassan Khalil and Saad Hariri's adviser Nader Hariri to kickstart the dialogue.

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