The newspaper "Nidaa Al-Watan" reported that as soon as Lebanon assumed the rotating presidency of the Arab League Council yesterday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Bou Habib quickly attempted to win the favor of the Arabs by addressing them on the basis of "shared calamities." He emphasized that the Russian-Ukrainian war has placed everyone "at the heart of the emergence of a new world order." He called upon Arab countries, based on the need to mend divisions and unify ranks in facing the repercussions and challenges of this war, to "support Lebanon in its Arab identity, unity, and preservation of its message and experience." He aimed to build upon the "good Kuwaiti initiative" to open the door for dialogue and "exchange ideas and concerns openly and transparently," hoping that the upcoming Arab consultative meeting in Beirut would serve as a beacon of hope that leads to renewed Arab interest in the Lebanese situation.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs chose to ignore the comments made by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, with its sources declining to comment on his accusations that it operates at the behest of the U.S. embassy in Awkar and complies with its verbal and "written" demands. Diplomatic sources in Paris advised Lebanese officials to "focus on addressing their own calamities instead of engaging in disputes and being preoccupied with others' misfortunes," clarifying to "Nidaa Al-Watan" that "in light of the serious repercussions of this war, French interest in the Lebanese issue has understandably diminished on the priority list, but it has not entirely fallen off the French administration's radar." They noted that communication with Lebanese officials is ongoing through presidential advisor Patrick Durel to accompany the government and legislative reform agenda while stressing the fundamental importance of the upcoming electoral process in May as an indispensable gateway to adhere to constitutional timelines and respect the Lebanese people's desire to reform the authority after being let down by the ruling class.
The sources pointed out that France, due to holding the presidency of the European Union at this critical moment in European history, is compelled to focus on ways to protect the European front against the fires of the Russian war on Ukraine. However, they affirmed that "French interest in Lebanon remains active and continuous, albeit at a slower pace due to the urgent and rapid changes on the international scene, which was mainly responsible for postponing French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's visit to Beirut." They indicated that "this visit is still on Le Drian's agenda and could take place at any time that suits his European and international commitments," without ruling out that "this might happen in the near future."
Simultaneously, the announcement by former ambassador Nawaf Salam yesterday regarding his decision not to run for parliamentary elections drew attention. He thus put an end to a stream of speculation and "rumors and erroneous conclusions" surrounding the possibility of his candidacy, emphasizing that his concern "was and remains far beyond seeking a 'seat in parliament.'" He noted that he looks forward to "gathering all support for candidates committed to the cause of state reform and restoring its sovereignty." However, he affirmed that this goal "should not be limited to just the electoral station... as elections today are taking place under conditions that do not provide a real level playing field, based on a hybrid law tailored by its architects among the ruling class to suit their interests and serve their goals."
Certainly, this decision had been communicated to President Fouad Siniora by Salam during his visit to Paris in recent days. Siniora returned to Beirut yesterday to resume his electoral consultations with a range of allied parties and figures in both the Christian and Druze arenas, parallel to activating his meetings with several potential candidates in the Sunni arena, in order to finalize his decision regarding running for elections in Beirut.
In this context, unconfirmed information circulated in recent hours suggesting that Siniora met with a Saudi intelligence official during his time in the French capital, away from the spotlight. Well-informed sources confirmed to "Nidaa Al-Watan" that they had not yet been able to verify this meeting but did not rule out its possibility, considering that "there is nothing preventing President Siniora from communicating with Saudi officials, especially as he is currently closest to obtaining the kingdom's blessing to run for elections in the Sunni arena, in light of his firm stance against Hezbollah's dominance and his rejection of Iranian encroachment in Lebanon."
