BEIRUT: Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah held a rare meeting on Sunday with his key rival, Lebanese parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri, in a bid to mend fences, a close aide to Hariri said yesterday.
Sunday’s meeting — the first between Hariri and Nasrallah in more than two years — came ahead of a national dialogue session next week set to address issues dividing the two factions.
Statements from Hariri’s office and Hezbollah said the meeting stressed the importance of “national unity and civil peace to prevent tensions and reinforce dialogue.” They said both sides underlined the importance of maintaining cooperation and described the tone of the meeting as “open and frank.” The Hariri aide said the meeting was held at a secret location for security reasons.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Hoballah, whose party is backed by Syria and Iran, said that the meeting was “very positive,” which helps strengthen national unity and lay the foundations for agreement.
“It promotes a positive climate for legislative elections in (spring) 2009,” he added.
Rival political leaders are due to meet again on Nov. 5 for a so-called national dialogue.
