Report: Hariri-Bassil Meeting Didn’t ‘Reap Positive Results’

A meeting between Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on the sidelines of a parliament meeting early this week, “did not led to an agreement” on the facilitation of the Cabinet formation, the pan-Arab al-Hayat daily reported on Thursday.

Sources who followed up on the “closed-meeting between the two men” held on the sideline of a parliament session in a bid to facilitate the stalemates and expedite the Cabinet lineup did not lead to positive results.

“The two men only agreed to meet again,” said the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The results were not positive, particularly that the Strong Lebanon bloc (of Bassil) was quick to announce that Bassil is not responsible for the stalemate,” added the sources.

Hariri was tasked with forming the new government on May 24.

Several obstacles are hindering his mission, especially political wrangling over the Christian and Druze shares.