Sleiman to Saudi for national dialogue sessions

President Michel Sleiman traveled to Saudi Arabia Friday for discussions with Saudi Arabian King Abdullah over the resumption of national dialogue sessions called for by Sleiman. Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi accompanied Sleiman to Riyadh on his one-day visit. On May 28, Sleiman invited rival political leaders for a new session of national dialogue on June 11 in an attempt to prevent the country from sliding into sectarian strife as a result of continued unrest in Syria. Deadly clashes in Tripoli, north Lebanon, and Beirut have raised fears that repercussions of the 14-month crisis in neighboring Syria have hit Lebanon. Three days prior to Sleiman’s invitation, Abdullah sent a letter to the president urging him to forge ahead with his desire to revive the national dialogue, which has been stalled since 2010. He also expressed Riyadh’s concerns over recent developments in Lebanon and the incidents in Tripoli, “especially the targeting of a major sect in the country’s social fabric.” Sleiman’s invitation came after the March 14 coalition called for the formation of a “salvation” government to oversee next year’s parliamentary elections as a precondition to convening a new round of intra-Lebanese dialogue. The party has also said that Hezbollah’s arms would have to be made a central item on the dialogue’s agenda. Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri welcomed Sleiman’s call for dialogue, while Hezbollah said that it would attend the dialogue without preconditions. The Council of Maronite Bishops urged all parties in Lebanon to unconditionally accept Sleiman's call and said that Lebanon’s national interest should be the highest priority for all Lebanese political parties.