Lebanon's Aoun says he met with Nasrallah

Head of Lebanon’s Change and Reform bloc Michel Aoun, revealed on Sunday that he recently met with the Secretary-General of the Shiite Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah. Aoun said he had held talks with Nasrallah on "specific and general topics." However, he refused to elaborate any further. "It is our right to hold bilateral talks and not to reveal our political plans," Aoun said. Regarding rumours of disagreements between the two prior to the meeting, Aoun said "We haven't disagreed. There were some thorny issues linked to internal affairs … that we resolved." Aoun justified Hezbollah's entry in to the Syrian city of Qusayr where Hezbollah members fought alongside government troops against opposition fighters. "Going into Qusayr was imposed by the Lebanese reality as a result of the paralysis on the Lebanese border and due to armed operations between Lebanon and Syria which could have resulted in a civil war in [east Lebanon's] Arsal, [particularly] following the [sectarian] tit-for-tat kidnappings," he said. "We are going through a very dangerous phase, particularly after the end of Ramadan," he added. The Change and Reform bloc leader reiterated that he had "friendly ties and a common stance" with Hezbollah, saying "we support the resistance as long as Israel continues to threaten us daily." On the stalled process of forming a new government under Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam, Aoun was adamant that the upcoming cabinet would represent parliamentary blocs. He rejected a fait accompli government, saying: "If we had refused to participate in the government then he [Salam] would have the right to do that but he doesn't because we represent the Lebanese people.” Aoun also said that he would have to agree first on which ministerial portfolios would be allocated to his party before he offers Salam a list of possible candidates for the positions. "If the situation remains the same, he [Salam] should then apologise and step down," Aoun said. Salam said on Thursday that the form of the next cabinet and the distribution of ministerial portfolios are being discussed and that he aims to find a breakthrough to the government formation crisis. "The form of the government, its size and ministerial portfolios are being discussed and I aspire to take the country out of this jungle," he said, referring to the row between the rival March 8 and March 14 camps over the next government.  "I'm leading towards forming a cabinet of national interest," he said.