Hezbollah, Future make ‘serious progress’ in talks

Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and the Future party have emphasized on implementing the government security plan in the country’s north hit by a spillover of militancy in Syria.

According to the Beirut-based newspaper Daily Star, representatives of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and those of the Future Party, met for the second time Monday to discuss ways to defuse the growing sectarian tensions in the Arab country.

A statement issued after the talks said that the two sides have agreed on continuing to implement the security plan outlined by the government to restore security to northern Lebanon which has been hit hard by the conflict in neighboring Syria.

Last year, the northern city of Tripoli was the scene of intensified clashes between followers and opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Terrorist groups have used the violence to create more tension in the area by carrying out explosions and attacks on people.

Hezbollah has reportedly agreed to allow the Lebanese army to deploy its forces in the Bekaa valley near the Syrian border, where the movement enjoys huge popular support. The Lebanese resistance movement has been the main defense line against the terrorists operating in the region.

The talks are based on an initiative by Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri who has hosted the two rounds of the talks in his residence in Beirut. Hussein Khalil, a close advisor to Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, has reportedly represented the movement in the talks.

The two sides met for the first time in four years in late December to discuss ways for defusing sectarian tensions and finding a mechanism out of the current presidential deadlock in Lebanon. The talks have been welcome by major international powers as well as regional stakeholders including Saudi Arabia and Iran.