Syrian Foreign Minister Abdel Halim Khaddam continued his peace moves on Thursday when he visited Maronite Christian Patriarch Antonios Khoreish.
He was accompanied by Major-General Naji Jamail, Syrian Deputy Defence Minister and Air Forece Commander, and Major-General Hikmat Shehabi, Syria’s Army Chief of Staff.
After the meeting, Mr. Khaddam issued a brief statement to waiting newsmen which read: “Everything is fine, we will return soon.” And the return of the middle class and wealthy Lebanese who left the country during the bitter violence is also causing hope for the future.
Officials at Beirut Airport claim some 6,000 people have returned since the now two week ceasefire took hold.
In Damour, millionaire Christian Maronite Emile Rizk has returned to the southern town and announced major re-building plans. Rizk, who lost five buildings during the fighting, is one of the key figures in the running of the 30,000 strong town and the news of his plans has given the locals a great lift. The final step in the current, delicate peace moves comes on Saturday (7 February) when Lebanese President Suleiman Franjieh travels to Damascus to set the seal on a Syrian engineered peace formula. The terms of the peace agreement have not been disclosed, but observers believe it is the only compromise solution acceptable to all major parties in the conflict.
The residence of Antonios Khoreish .. Patriarch of the Lebanese Christian Maronite Church .. was the scene of yet another peace meeting on Thursday. Syrian Foreign Minister Abdel Halim Khaddam met with the Patriarch to finalise details of a Syrian engineered peace formula for the Lebanon. After Thursday’s meeting, Mr. Khaddam issued only a brief statement which read: “Everything is fine, we will return soon”.
