Beirut (AsiaNews) – The peaceful transition of the next President of the Republic dominated discussions yesterday in Bkerke, between the Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and the US deputy secretary of State David Welch, charge d’affairs for the Middle East, who visited the cardinal immediately after his arrival in Beirut.
Sources close to the Patriarchate pose the talks in the light of ongoing negotiations to ease “a peaceful passage of power between the current President Emile Lahhoud and his successor who should be elected before November 24th”. The same sources say the meeting underscores concerns expressed by patriarch Sfeir during his recent visit to the Vatican as well as the role which could be played by the Holy See in the Lebanese question. The patriarch’s visit with President Lahoud Friday may have had the purpose of communicating the outcome of Welch’s talks at the Vatican last week.
After having visited card. Sfeir, Welch held a meeting with government representatives of the March 14th group, in the American embassy at Awkar. During talks he guaranteed deputies from Saad Hariri’s group "The Future", full US support in the formation of the International Tribunal into the assassination of the ex-premier Rafic Hariri, as well as for the election of the future President, thus distancing the hypothesis of a transitional government. Today Welch is due to meet with Parliament president Nabih Berri, head of government Fouad Siniora and with General Michel Aoun.