Berri to meet Aoun, Paris presses him on 'Shiite negotiator'

Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri will visit the Baabda Palace this week and the files of negotiations with Israel and the appointment of a Shiite member to the negotiating delegation will be the focus of his meeting with President Joseph Aoun, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Monday.

Political sources told the daily that Aoun will insist on the nomination process being completed as quickly as possible so that Lebanon be prepared should Israel give the green light.

Nidaa al-Watan also said that "Berri's reluctance to nominate the Shiite member of the negotiating delegation with Israel will be the central topic of his meeting this (Monday) morning in Ain al-Tineh with French Ambassador Hervé Magro."

"The French message, framed as an advice, will emphasize the need to expedite the nomination of the Shiite figure, as time is not on Lebanon's side," the daily said.

The newspaper added that all the atmosphere surrounding the negotiations is negative and the situation is deadlocked, seeing as the "Israelis believe that the time is not yet right and their priority is to disarm Hezbollah."

Berri is meanwhile "still insisting on his position of refusing to name a Shiite member to the delegation," the daily said.