Bassil to Meet Kerry during Paris-Hosted Conference on Iraq on Monday
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil is scheduled to attend a meeting in Paris on Monday on the situation in Iraq, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Sunday.
Sources in France told the daily that he will hold talks in Paris with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss the situation in Lebanon.
The discussions will likely stress the need for Lebanon to stage the presidential elections and end the vacuum in the country's top Christian post.
Western diplomatic sources told al-Hayat that the lack of president is obstructing the arrival of foreign aid to Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tammam Salam is scheduled to travel to New York on September 22.
He is expected to hold talks on his trip with French President Francois Hollande.
Kerry had paid a brief visit to Lebanon on June 4 during which he met with Speaker Nabih Berri, Salam, and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.
He voiced his concern over the “deeply troubling” political stalemate in Lebanon given the political powers' failure to elect a new president.
Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May.
Ongoing disputes between the March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise candidate have thwarted the election of a president despite several elections sessions being held at parliament.
Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance bloc and the Change and Reform bloc of MP Michel Aoun have been boycotting the sessions due to the disagreement.
Aoun has repeatedly said that he is willing to run in the elections if there is consensus over him.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, a candidate himself, has accused Aoun of blackmailing parliament into electing him as president.
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