Solana discusses with Lebanese officials ME developments
The speaker of the Lebanese parliament Nabih Berri on Friday in Beirut discussed with the higher representative of the foreign policy at the European Union Javier Solana developments in the region and the efforts made to relaunch the ME peace process on the ground of international legitimacy principles and the land for peace formula.
Berri said that there is no security solution without attaining a political solution, stressing that the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem will not continue like other previous invaders.
Solana described his meeting with Solana as good during which discussions dealt with the situation in south Lebanon and the region and the possibilities to give matters a push forward, noting he will continue contacts with the Lebanese officials in the coming weeks.
In the same context the Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri stressed that the establishment of a just and comprehensive peace in the region is connected to Israel's implementation of the international resolutions and returning back to 1967 border lines.
During his meeting on Friday with Solana and the EU ME special envoy Moratinos, al-Hariri stressed that the problem does not lie in the Arab sides which declared commitment to peace, rather in the Israeli sides which continues to build the settlements until today and expand them on the occupied Palestinian territories.
Following the meeting, Solana welcomed the Arab peace initiative recently held in Beirut. He said that the said Arab peace initiative is very important and aims at placing things back in the rightful track. He noted that there is a European, Russian and American coordination with the UN secretary general concerning the situation in the region.
Solana said that his current tour aims at discussing the possibility of proposing a political initiative so as to boost the ME peace process forward.
Meantime, the Lebanese foreign minister Mahmoud Hammoud discussed with Solana conditions in the region especially in the Palestinian territories.