Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassi is still in Lebanon and did not travel Tuesday to Paris, contrary to the latest media reports, sources close to him said.
Bassil has however “received an invitation from the Elysee to visit Paris and his travel is hinging on a phone call to inform him of the date of a meeting whose nature is yet to be defined,” the sources told LBCI TV.
“Syria should return to us...Syria should be in our embrace instead of throwing it into the embrace of terrorism,” Lebanon’s Caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassi told Arab foreign and economy ministers at a summit that Beirut is hosting. pic.twitter.com/66QcKZF7ny
— Politicoscope (@Politicoscope) January 18, 2019
“He has not sought the meeting or the visit and he does not need a mediator with the French side, seeing as he is in constant contact with the French,” the sources added.
In a letter delivered to the Iranian ambassador in Lebanon, Lebanese FM Jebran Bassi urged #Iran to release Lebanese national and US resident Nizar Zakka, who has been imprisoned on trumped-up charges for more than three years https://t.co/Ri5GknVNQ0. #FreeNizarZakka
— IranHumanRights.org (@ICHRI) May 6, 2019
Elysee Palace press office sources meanwhile declined to confirm or deny whether Bassil will visit Paris.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s advisers Emmanuel Bonne, Patrick Durel and Bernard Émié are meanwhile “exerting daily efforts” and communicating with the Lebanese parties that met with Macron in 2020 at the Pine Residence, LBCI added.
Sources close to PM-designate Saad Hariri meanwhile told MTV that Hariri “does not want to meet” with Bassil, seeing as the cabinet formation negotiations should be with President Michel Aoun and not with Bassil.
“Hariri is convinced that meeting Bassil in Paris will not lead to any result,” the sources added.
“Let President Aoun give up the one-third-plus-one share now and the government will be formed now,” the sources said.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
