Middle East News
Seniora backs Lebanon meeting in France
Jun 27, 2007, 15:51 GMT
Paris - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Wednesday discussed with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora his invitation of the conflicting Lebanese parties for a meeting in France.
'It has been agreed to continue preparations for the meeting in the next few days,' the ministry said. Seniora said he was working 'on the success' of the idea. The meeting might be able to revive the dialogue inside Lebanon, Seniora said.
Mid-July has been named as a possible date for the meeting.
'The climate is good to move forward,' Seniora said, adding that the initiative had been halted by the Arab League's failed mediation attempt.
Kouchner had also invited the Shiite Hezbollah movement for the informal meeting at an undisclosed location.
He had tried in vain earlier to bring together pro-Syrian and pro- US forces at one table.
Seniora meanwhile has also asked United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to prolong the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission, which had been compromised by an attacked killing six Spanish peacekeepers on Sunday.
'I have given the official letter to the UN Secretary General,' Seniora said after meeting Ban Ki-moon in Paris Tuesday.
'We have asked for a prolongation of the mission without any modification of the mandate,' he told a press conference. The mission was due to end on August 31.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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