Reports: Vatican Urged al-Rahi for Direct Dialogue with Hizbullah

Far from the limelight, a meeting has been arranged between Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and delegates of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, al-Akhbar newspaper reported Monday.

"The meeting aims at relaunching dialogue and forming a committee to arrange upcoming meetings between the two parties," the daily said.

These developments came after the visit of the Vatican's foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, to Beirut.

According to the daily, Gallagher had urged for direct dialogue with Hizbullah, during his visit in February, and al-Rahi had promised to take practical steps in this direction.

While Hizbullah leaders support the dialogue and consider it "a national need", prominent Maronite bishops are divided between supporters and opponents, al-Akhbar said.