Wassim Mroueh| The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Hezbollah and the Future Movement agreed during an ice-breaking meeting Tuesday to start a “serious and responsible” dialogue with the aim of easing political tensions in the country and paving the way for energizing state institutions.
“Both sides stressed their eagerness and readiness to start a serious and responsible dialogue over various issues, with each group understanding the stance of the other from some disputed topics,” said a statement after the meeting.
The first session of talks, which lasted for three-and-a-half hours, was hosted by Speaker Nabih Berri at his Ain al-Tineh residence amid a total media blackout.
Hezbollah and the Future Movement also voiced their readiness “to continue this dialogue in a positive manner that will help reduce disagreements that are affecting ties between the Lebanese.”
The two rivals also agreed to organize their differences and open the door for talks and cooperation to energize the work of stagnant state institutions and help in solving problems getting in the way of normal political life.
Hezbollah and the Future Movement said their dialogue “is not aimed at forming a new political alliance in the country or confronting any political group, hijacking the decision of another or pressuring parties to take certain stances on constitutional events.”Attending the talks on behalf of Hezbollah were Hussein Khalil, the political aide to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan and MP Hasan Fadlallah.
Representing the Future Movement were Nader Hariri, chief of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s staff, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk and MP Samir Jisr.
Also present was Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, Berri’s political aide.
The statement said that at the start of the session, Berri outlined the dangers Lebanon and the region were facing which required the highest levels of attention and responsibility.
The speaker added that these issues required all political parties to work to strengthen ties between local factions in order to protect Lebanon’s stability, civil peace and unity, especially given the rising sectarian rhetoric in the region.
Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV said both groups agreed to hold a second session in the new year.
The dialogue between the rival parties aims at defusing rising Sunni-Shiite tensions in the country, facilitating the election of a president, bolstering counterterrorism efforts, helping in reaching an agreement on a new electoral law and energizing state institutions.
Earlier Tuesday, the Future parliamentary bloc rejected remarks by Iranian Speaker Ali Larijani during his visit Monday in which he said that Hezbollah was more effective than some states.
“This stance undermines the idea of the one Lebanese state which unites the Lebanese people … and that’s why it [the bloc] categorically rejects it because the Lebanese state has the exclusive right to sovereignty on all its land and institutions,” the bloc said in a statement after its weekly meeting.