BERRI IN AN INTERVIEW WITH CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER “AVVENIRE” RULES OUT LARGE-SCALE WAR ON LEBANON WHICH WILL INVOLVE REGIONAL COUNTRIES

Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri, ruled out that Israel would launch a wide-scale war on Lebanon, in which several regional countries might get involved. He said in an interview with the widely-known Catholic newspaper "Avvenire": “The situation in the region is very critical, not only in the Middle East, and what is happening threatens Europe and world peace." He considered that “despite the mistakes committed by US President Joe Biden, we heard his statements confirming that the United States does not support the war on Lebanon, because its repercussions would be disastrous for Lebanon and the region.” Berri spoke about his position on electing a president of the republic after a gap of nearly two years, saying: "We are at an advanced stage...I asked the heads of the parliamentary blocs to open the door to dialogue in order to reach an agreement on the controversial issues within 7 or 10 days at the latest.” The interview was reported by foreign agencies, devoting a large space to Berri’s speech, espec ially in terms of his keenness on maintaining the best relations with Italy and the Holy See. The interview also touched on the meeting with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who assured Speaker Berri that His Holiness, the Pope, would visit Lebanon after the election of a president of the republic. It is to note that the newspaper “Avvenire” is the official spokes source for the Council of Italian Bishops (CEI) and the most influential on Christian public opinion. Source: National News Agency - Lebanon