France's Kouchner opens talks with Lebanese leaders

Jul 9, 2009, 17:52 GMT

Beirut - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrived Thursday in Beirut for talks with Lebanese leaders on the situation in Lebanon and regional peace efforts.

'Cabinet formation is an internal issue,' Kouchner said on arrival at Rafik Hariri international airport. 'They (the Lebanese) can form their government without anybody's help.'

He said he would meet with 'all Lebanese leaders and representatives from the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, which is represented in parliament.'

Kouchner was to meet with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Premier Saad Hariri, Free Patriotic Movement opposition Christian leader Michel Aoun, Phalange chief Amin Gemayel, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad.

Saad Hariri, who was appointed Lebanon's premier earlier this month, is still struggling to form a national unity government which will include all rival Lebanese factions.

According to an official source who requested anonymity, Kouchner was to discuss French-Lebanese ties, Lebanese-Syrian relations and US efforts to restart peace talks in the region.

Lebanese-Syrian ties soured after the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri which was widely blamed on Damacsus and its allies in Lebanon by his followers, a charge Damascus has vehmently denied.

Kouchner was due to attend Thursday night a concert by French singer Charles Aznavour in Beiteddine, southeast of Beirut, and meet with Druze leader and MP Walid Jumblatt.

The French foreign minister will visit Syria on Saturday.