Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri said all maters remain on hold in the country pending the ceasefire with the Israeli enemy.
“Everything has come to a standstill, with no issues being addressed or discussed, pending the ceasefire we worked tirelessly to secure,” Speaker Berri said, as cited by his visitors, according to Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar on Tuesday.
Commenting on President Joseph Aoun’s statement on Monday, in which Aoun said the ceasefire is a necessary first step for any subsequent negotiations with ‘Israel’, Speaker Berri referred questioners back to the President, saying, “Ask him.”
The Lebanese speaker then questioned the reality of the truce, asking: “Where is the ceasefire today?”, referring to the ongoing Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon.
Asked whether an agreement had been reached with the Saudi envoy on a cabinet reshuffle or adjustments to the government’s performance, Speaker Berri reiterated: “The priority is the ceasefire, and the government is as stagnant as Lebanon.”
Visitors to Ain Al-Tineh quoted the Lebanese speaker as saying that hopes remain pinned on “something serious” emerging from the US-Iranian talks in Islamabad.
Speaker Berri also warned against any attempt to manipulate the Lebanese pound’s exchange rate, citing the potentially disastrous consequences for the country.
Source: Al-Akhbar newspaper (translated and edited y Al-Manar)