Bassil Seeks to Turn Economic Summit into 'Syria Reconciliation Summit'

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil is “vigorously” seeking to turn Beirut’s upcoming Arab economic summit into a summit for Arab “reconciliation” with Damascus, a media report said.

“He is working on the Arab level to secure Syria’s return to the Arab League and therefore inviting it to the summit,” informed sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Tuesday.

“Bassil’s initiative is based on a tripartite Lebanese-Iraqi-Jordanian proposal that is backed by Egypt and will be presented tomorrow Wednesday at an Arab coordination meeting at the level of permanent envoys that will be held in Cairo,” the sources said.

While not ruling out the success of Bassil’s initiative, the sources added that the minister is seeking to turn the summit into a “summit for reconciliation with Damascus.”

“Lebanon is hosting the summit and the invitations are not for it to decide on. The decision whether or not to invite Damascus will be issued by the council of Arab foreign ministers,” the sources went on to say, downplaying the significance of a possible Lebanese dispute between Bassil -- backed by Hizbullah and its allies -- and the Hariri-led camp.

Bassil had recently voiced similar remarks.

“It is not up to Lebanon to invite anyone; it rather abides by the Arab League’s decision. But Lebanon can take the initiative and seek Syria’s return to the League, and we as a political camp and a Lebanese foreign ministry have a well-known opinion,” the minister said.

President Michel Aoun had confirmed Monday that the summit will be held on time despite the presence of a caretaker cabinet.