Yesterday in Damascus, the American-Syrian meetings on the proposed American proposals regarding the Middle East situation and the Lebanese crisis continued. However, signs are increasing that these negotiations are reaching an impasse when it comes to addressing the Lebanese side.
Nevertheless, this doesn’t imply a halt to the ongoing efforts to create an environment that meets the minimum requirements for the upcoming presidential elections in Lebanon, which are the core objective of these negotiations. Within these efforts, Al-Diyar learned from extensive political sources that a meeting will take place within the next 24 hours involving the American Assistant Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs, Mr. Richard Murphy, the official from the American State Department, Mrs. April Glaspie, and the ruling team. The sources did not disclose the location of the meeting.
Yesterday, Murphy held a second round of talks in Damascus with the Syrian Vice President, Mr. Abdel Halim Khaddam, in the presence of Glaspie and the Syrian Assistant Foreign Minister, Mr. Youssef Shakour. While there is an internal stalemate awaiting further information about this new round of talks, diplomatic circles have not been ruled out.
These circles have learned about the development of discussions on reform papers, mutual responses, and observations, which may lead to a shift in the level and format of the talks. The formation of an expert-level committee representing the Lebanese and Syrian teams, with the presence of an American representative, is being considered to discuss the details. These sources indicate that such a committee would mean a resumption of direct negotiations between the Lebanese government and Damascus, based on the failure of the current mediation to resolve differences on the proposed reform issues. The same sources also do not exclude the possibility that this committee will result in the formation of a field committee in the coming months to implement arrangements on the ground. This could potentially create a breakthrough that strengthens the existing truce and fosters an environment conducive to holding the presidential elections on time and in a normal manner.
