http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=111946
Hariri calls for religious co-existence By The Daily Star Saturday, February 20, 2010 BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed on Friday the need to preserve the presence of Christian communities within Lebanon in order to set a worldwide example of coexistence among religions. Hariri made his statements to News Rai Italian television ahead of his arrival in Italy on Friday where he is scheduled to meet with Pope Benedict XVI and Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi Saturday. Separately, President Michel Sleiman is scheduled to arrive in Russia on Wednesday on a two-day official state viAsit during which he is scheduled to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Dimitri Medvedev at the Kremlin and meet several other Russian top officials. For his part, Hariri urged Italy to pressure Israel to take part in peace negotiations, adding that Arab states wanted peace with Israel but stressed that the Israelis were divided and were seeking war against Lebanon, Syria and Iran. "Israel cannot pretend to show interest in the peace process without taking any practical steps," Hariri said while underscoring the Lebanese government's commitment to the implementation of UN Resolution 1701. Hariri also highlighted daily Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty which he described as unacceptable. Asked about accusations of arms flows from the Syrian border to Lebanon, Hariri said: "Israel knows well what to offer to Syria, [which is] the return of the occupied Golan Heights annexed during the July 1967 war." "Israelis know what to do, so why not do it? Israel always pretends that the problem lies with the Palestinians' internal divisions, but the truth is that there are divisions among the Israelis," Hariri added. Another step in the process of national reconciliation is scheduled to take place in Lebanon this weekend, when Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Michel Aoun heads to Mukhtara, to meet with the head of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt The meeting between the leaders is considered as part of reconciliation efforts among residents of Mount Lebanon to promote unity in the Chouf, the FPM announced Thursday. Thousands of Christian families fled their villages and have not yet returned after clashes between the Druze and Christian communities in the Chouf during Lebanon's Civil War. Jumblatt has also recently held a series of meetings with Hizbullah officials, including the party's leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, as part of the Druze leader's rapprochement with groups in the parliamentary minority after his withdrawal from the March 14 alliance following the June 2009 general elections. - The Daily Star . [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
