Omar al-Rassi, “Akhbar al-Yawm” agency
A few days before the meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden next Thursday, where the Lebanese file is likely to be raised, a congressional delegation met with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nabih Berri, foreign ministers Abdallah bou Habib and Defense Minister Maurice Sleem.
The delegation headed by MP Mark Takato and the membership of Representatives Colin Allred and Katie Porter stressed the importance of electing a president of the Republic, forming a new government, applying the conditions of the International Monetary Fund and proceeding with reforms, pointing out that "there are many challenges that will be witnessed in 2023 globally, including food security and securing aid from the United States to friendly countries, so Lebanese lawmakers and politicians must make many efforts to put Lebanon on the path of recovery, which is not done without fighting corruption and passing the laws required by the IMF".
Does this visit mean an American entry on the presidential entitlement line?
A source close to the visit confirmed via the agency "Akhbar Al-Yawm" that the mission of the delegation is a reconnaissance mission of the Lebanese reality and the expected rights, and the council was to elect a president, without the delegation going into details.
The source stressed that the delegation does not carry any initiative, he said: they may find out something through a direct meeting or figure out something through questions and answers.
He added: It is known that American delegations, whether from Congress or otherwise, usually have an intelligence and information background.
In response to a question about whether the delegation raised files other than the presidential entitlement, the source replied: the delegation did not raise ideas related to energy, but the Lebanese side asked about the topic, especially in light of the government's efforts to raise the hours of electricity supply.
On the other hand, an informed political source said that the visit of the congressional delegation does not mean that there is a change in the rules of the game, saying: many delegations visit Lebanon and record their impressions, but the importance remains in how these visits will be translated later...
He added: If we do not see any movement in the Iranian-American nuclear file, and the Iranian-Saudi file, there will be no actual positive translation on the Lebanese reality. At the internal level, the solutions are "non-existent".
The source added: "the Status Quo continues pending the Iranian - American understanding".