Miqati to France without Ministerial Delegation

Prime Minister Najib Miqati is scheduled to head to France on Friday, but he seeking to avoid bringing a ministerial delegation along with him, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Monday. Ministerial sources explained that the premier’s decision is linked to Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour’s insistence on attending Miqati’s meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. No further details on the matter were given. The daily said that an expanded meeting, which will be attended by French Premier Francois Fillon, will be open to a possible Lebanese ministerial delegation. The sources added that Miqati’s meeting with Sarkozy is the first of its kind since the premier was appointed to his position. The meeting acts as a reflection of the France’s approval of Miqati’s decision to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the Lebanese government’s position on the Syrian crisis in that the premier, president, and speaker had successfully prevented Lebanon from being affected by the Syrian unrest. Lebanon has chosen to distance itself from the developments taking place in its neighboring country. European sources told al-Hayat however that France hopes that this policy would not include refraining from helping Syrian refugees who have flooded Lebanon’s northern borders to escape the Syrian regime’s crackdown against protesters. Regarding the STL, they added that the French government considers the renewal of Lebanon’s cooperation protocol with the tribunal as an issue that should not be subject to political tensions. Beirut - Naharnet