Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam will travel to a number of countries next week, starting with a visit to the US, to discuss a peace deal with Israel, the pan-Arab newspaper “Asharq al-Awsat“ reported.
According to the newspaper, Salam will hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
On April 9, the Lebanese government reaffirmed its commitment to the peace initiative to enter into direct negotiations with Israel to resolve the conflict. The first round of bilateral talks is expected to take place in Washington on Tuesday, April 14. The Lebanese delegation will be led by Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamad-e-Muawad, the newspaper reported.
Salam told Asharq Al-Awsat that during the visits he hopes to secure support and mobilize efforts to restore the Lebanese state's authority over the entire country. "The path to resolving the crisis in Lebanon is clear: it begins with a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops," the politician said.
According to the publication, the republic's leadership is seeking to separate the Lebanese path from the negotiations between the United States and Iran. Thus, in a statement issued by the office of President Joseph Aoun on April 9, its dissatisfaction with Iranian interference and attempts to bind Lebanon to the axis of resistance was expressed. "Lebanon remains a sovereign and capable state," the statement said. “We will never agree to anyone negotiating on our behalf.“
For his part, Ali Fayyad, a representative of the parliamentary faction of the Shiite organization Hezbollah, rejected the possibility of starting negotiations until Israel completely ceases hostilities against Lebanon. He said the government should demand a ceasefire “as a precondition before any further steps are taken“.