The third round of discussions with French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian is purely dialogical, as he reaffirmed his support for the initiative of Speaker of the House Nabih Berri to everyone he met. Today, Thursday, Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari will participate in clarifying the situation for the Sunni MPs invited to the Saudi ambassador's residence this afternoon, within the framework of a tribute to Lebanon's Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Deryan on the occasion of the extension of his term.
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Lebanon Walid Bukhari, returning from Paris, invited Sunni MPs belonging to the National Moderation Bloc, the New Lebanon Bloc, the Renewal Movement, and the National Consensus Bloc, as well as some reformist and independent MPs, to gather at his residence in the Yarze area, east of Beirut, at 3:30 PM to attend a ceremony honoring Mufti Deryan, in the presence of Le Drian.
According to information from "Al-Anbaa" Kuwaiti newspaper, invitations were not extended to four out of 27 Sunni MPs: Yanal Al-Sulh, Melhem Al-Hajiri, Jihad Al-Samad, and Halima Qaqour. A meeting will take place between Mufti Deryan, Le Drian, and Bukhari before the larger gathering, where Bukhari and Le Drian will inform attendees of a joint Saudi-French position emphasizing that the next Lebanese president should not provoke anyone, but rather be inclusive of all components and receive approval from all parties.
Today's meeting at the Saudi ambassador's residence is the third for Sunni MPs and serves as a continuation of previous meetings held at the Dar Al-Fatwa or at the Saudi ambassador's residence to establish the religious and political authority of Dar Al-Fatwa for Sunni Muslims in Lebanon.
