Today, Tuesday, Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri received the Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alaa Moussa, where they discussed the developments in the general situation in Lebanon and the region, the political and military updates in light of Israel's ongoing aggression against Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the bilateral relations between Lebanon and Egypt, in addition to the presidential election and the work of the Quintet committee.
After the meeting, the Egyptian ambassador stated: "I was honored today to meet with His Excellency Speaker Nabih Berri, and this visit comes within my constant commitment to communicate with him and with all political forces." He added: "We discussed the overall conditions in the region, the developments occurring, and their impacts on the region and its countries, especially on Egypt and Lebanon. I listened to his assessments and vision for the future and also shared our evaluation. We also addressed the issue of the presidential vacancy and the role of the Quintet committee and its future work plan, exchanging views on this matter, all of which, God willing, will lead to positive outcomes that will manifest in the near future."
In response to a question about the reasons for the postponement of the Quintet ambassadors' meeting with President Berri, the Egyptian ambassador said: "In fact, the meeting with His Excellency today is an opportunity to emphasize that the position of the Quintet is one and unified. Yesterday, I met with Prime Minister Najib Mikati and conveyed the same message to him. As I have expressed on many occasions, the position of the Quintet is united, and regarding today's meeting, it was postponed to the upcoming period within the framework of other meetings for the Quintet ambassadors with various political forces, simply to arrange the ambassadors' schedules. This is a normal occurrence related to the schedules of the ambassadors, and this will be addressed and considered in the future. We are genuinely working to arrange a meeting for the Quintet ambassadors soon, and this meeting does not aim to discuss contradictions; rather, it focuses on commonalities and a roadmap for the work of the Quintet."
Regarding the necessity of separating the presidential file from the events in Gaza, the Egyptian ambassador responded: "It is inherent that any country in the world must have a president, and in critical and tense circumstances, this is even more required. Therefore, we see that what is happening in the region and the challenges facing Lebanon and other countries in the area necessitates expediting the completion of this obligation, which is the election of a president as soon as possible."
The ambassador also met with the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, where they reviewed the general situation, the latest political developments, and the bilateral relations between the two countries.
