Dialogue Resumes between Kataeb and Hizbullah

Kataeb deputy chief Salim al-Sayegh said on Friday that the dialogue between the party and Hizbullah was launched years ago and that it has somewhat ceased during the preparations for the Kataeb elections, assuring that the meetings will resume this week.

“Dialogue between the Kataeb and Hizbullah started years ago, particularly following the visit made by (former) President Amin Gemayel to (Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan) Nasrallah after the martyrdom of (his son) Pierre Gemeyel,” Sayegh told al-Akhbar daily.

The former minister assured that the “meetings have carried on one way or another either through the parliament or through bilateral meetings between MPs and Hizbullah officials such as MP Elie Marouni, myself, MPs Ali Fayyad, Nawaf al-Moussawi and Ibrahim al-Mousawi.

“Some meetings were even attended by Sheikh Sami Gemayel.”

Sayegh added: “Hizbullah has grown an interest in getting to know Sheikh Sami after he became the party's head, which is crucial. However the meetings were stalled before the Kataeb conference because we were busy with the preparations for the elections. But now we will reactivate these meetings.”

The two parties have been holding occasional rounds of dialogue. They were first revealed in the wake of MP Sami Gemayel's election as Kataeb president in June 2015.

Pierre Gemayel was assassinated on November 21, 2006, when gunmen opened fired at his car in the Northern Metn district of Jdeideh, killing the then industry minister.

D.A.

G.A.