Quintet meets Berri as presidential void drags on

Four ambassadors of the five-nation group for Lebanon met Tuesday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, after a series of meetings with politicians and leaders in Beirut in an attempt to break the presidential impasse in Lebanon.

The ambassadors of Egypt, France, KSA, and Qatar and the Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. embassy in Beirut briefed Berri on the results of their meetings.

The quintet's ambassadors had met this week with Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh, Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel, Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil, the National Moderation bloc MPs, and Hezbollah's Loyalty to Resistance bloc.

Crisis-hit Lebanon has been without a president since Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022, with neither of the two main blocs -- Hezbollah and its opponents -- having the majority required to elect one.

The international community and the five-nation group have long urged Lebanese leaders to end months of political wrangling and stem the financial meltdown.

Egyptian Ambassador Alaa Moussa said the meeting with Berri was "positive" and that there will be more consultations in the coming days with the parliamentary blocs.

A report published Monday in the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper had claimed that the five-nation group intends to pressure Berri to end the protracted presidential vacuum by setting a timeframe for holding the presidential vote.