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Kouchner: Lebanese government to be formed within days

Global Arab Network - - Adam Turner

Friday, 23 October 2009 15:43

Lebanon_P_Minister_Designated_Saad_Hariri_meets_French_Minister_of_Foreign_Affairs_Bernard_Kouchner

Visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Lebanese President Michel Suleiman had told him that a Lebanese government would be made up within a few days' time.

Speaking to reporters following a meeting with the Lebanese leader, Kouchner said “President Suleiman had reaffirmed to him that a cabinet line-up would be made public soon, with 15 portfolios going to parliamentary majority and 10 portfolios to minority, along with five others to be tipped by the president of the republic.”

He reiterated his country's support for a stable and self-determined Lebanon, calling for speeding up the formation of the Lebanese government.

As a friend of Lebanon, France is ready to help facilitate the makeup of a new Lebanese government, he said.

Asked if obstacles impeding a Lebanese government makeup were internal or external, the French foreign minister said they were external, urging those countries which have influence on Lebanon to do as much as they could to materialize a government.

Kouchner was quoted as saying that indications received from Iran were "not very positive."

"I cannot say that the situation regarding Iran is very positive. Now, meetings are being held in Vienna. But via the indications we are receiving, matters are not very positive," Kouchner said during an official visit to Lebanon. His remarks, translated into Arabic, were reported by the Lebanese National News Agency.

Earlier Friday, the French foreign minister held separate talks with his Lebanese counterpart Fawzi Salloukh and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat.

Following talks with PM-designate Saad Hariri at Center House at noon Friday, Kouchner said: "The international community should witness the birth of a new stable government in a stable and friendly Lebanon."

On the other hand he also said that, “The meeting between Saudi King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Assad was important but we can’t expect immediate results.”

Asked if Syria has abided by its commitments on Lebanon, Kouchner said: "Syria didn't influence the formation of the cabinet."

Saad Hariri, son of slain ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, has tried without success to form a government since June, when his US- and Saudi-backed coalition won a general election over a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran .

The stalemate was largely blamed on tension between the two camps' regional backers, but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Saudi King Abdullah seemed to have buried the hatchet at a meeting earlier this month and jointly called for a unity government.

Kouchner held talks with top officials, including the president, speaker of parliament and foreign minister, and is to meet with Hariri, Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun and a Hezbollah official before returning to France later on Friday.

Kouchner arrived late Thursday on an official visit to Lebanon. (KUNA, Reuters, AFP, iloubnan)

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