The ambassadors of the Quintet Committee on Lebanon held a meeting on Thursday to break the impasse created by the failure to solve the Lebanese presidential elections issue since November 2022.
The talks took place at the residence of Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Al-Bukhari to relaunch the committee's efforts to end the presidential vacuum and its direct and indirect impacts on Lebanon by bringing the views of the Lebanese political forces closer.
The meeting also paves the way for the upcoming visit of French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian to Lebanon, to announce the criteria that determine the identity and features of the prospective president.
Information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat pointed to “ongoing efforts towards a common and unified vision for member states according to a specific timetable.”
The meeting emphasized that the presidential elections depended on an internal Lebanese decision, pointing to the need for a parallel Lebanese movement that converges with the efforts of the Quintet Committee, away from any Iranian influence.
The attendees affirmed “the unity of vision and efforts” of the quintet.
A source present at the meeting told Asharq Al-Awsat that the participants stressed that the committee “will not be a substitute for the will of the Lebanese political forces and Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
They also highlighted the necessity of “making the current movement a success in order to put the presidential election as a priority in political meetings in Lebanon and the region.”
The meeting also stressed the importance of distancing the electoral issue from political bets on regional developments and attempts to link it to the war in Gaza.
The five-member committee was formed to help the Lebanese political forces elect a new president for the country, which is suffering from one of its worst financial and economic crises.
The war in Gaza and Hezbollah’s engagement have halted presidential talks, but efforts launched recently by Al-Bukhari brought back the matter to the forefront.
