Saturday, 19 December, 2020 - 08:45
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Boutros Al-Rai speaks after meeting with Lebanon s President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon July 15, 2020. Dalati Nohra/Handout via REUTERS Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Al-Rai broke the stalemate in the issue of the Lebanese government’s formation by meeting on Friday with President Michel Aoun and the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, a day after his meeting with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri.
Well-informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the patriarch took the initiative to meet with Hariri and invited Bassil to Bkerki.
During his meeting with Rai, the president affirmed that his goal was to form a productive and effective government that would be able to face internal and regional challenges.