Leaf, U.S. Official, Hosts Lebanese MPs in Washington!

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf, had a meeting with Lebanese Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab and several other Lebanese Members of Parliament in Washington on Friday.

The discussion focused on the urgent need for Lebanon to elect a president and to avert a full-scale conflict within the country.

During the meeting, Leaf emphasized that while a five-nation coalition, including the U.S., France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt, is committed to assisting Lebanon in resolving its political crisis, the ultimate solution must originate from within Lebanon. Leaf highlighted that the responsibility for finding a solution rests with the Lebanese themselves.

Lebanon has been experiencing a severe crisis, being without a president since Michel Aoun’s term ended in October of the previous year. The country’s main political factions, Hezbollah and its adversaries, have been unable to secure the majority needed to elect a new president.

The international community, along with the mentioned five-nation group, has been consistently urging Lebanese leaders to conclude their prolonged political disputes and address the country’s escalating financial crisis.