The Quint Committee, represented by the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, France, and the United States, will hold its first meeting after the summer break next Saturday, September 14.

Some directions of the Arab-International Quint Committee regarding the presidential elections have begun to emerge following a meeting between French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, Saudi Minister Nizar Al-Aloula, and the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Waleed Bukhari.

Diplomatic sources following Quintet’s activities informed Al-Liwaa that the meeting was highly positive.

Firstly, it succeeded in reinstating the presidential election as a top priority for the five countries from mid-September, when the ambassadors of the Quintet in Beirut will hold a meeting to reactivate their movement towards Lebanese political forces, aiming to reach a consensus on electing a president.

This meeting also seeks to follow up on the internal momentum that has been building for some time, most recently highlighted by MP Dr. Ghassan Skaff’s announcement, representing the national moderation bloc’s renewed involvement in the presidential efforts.

The sources added that, secondly, the idea of a third option, agreeing on an acceptable candidate through dialogue or consultations, is back on the table.

Le Drian is expected to raise this matter again if he returns, as expected, after mid-September. The sources clarified that the efforts of the Quintet and Le Drian focus on creating a framework that the Lebanese can agree upon as a middle-ground solution.

Furthermore, what Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea proposed in his speech on “Lebanese Resistance Martyrs Day” wasn’t entirely negative. He expressed support for dialogue on significant national issues, such as discussing constitutional amendments.

However, the problem lies in the disagreement over the mechanism for holding the dialogue or consultations, a matter that must be resolved by the Lebanese themselves, with the side support and communications from the Quintet Committee and Le Drian personally.

Political sources informed Al-Liwaa that the presidential file remains unchanged, awaiting the Quintet's actions and the efforts of local forces. However, it is premature to speak of any positivity or imminent resolution in the matter, which is why the current movement should be seen as part of a renewed attempt to break the deadlock and begin preparing for discussions on the issue.

The meeting will take place under a mechanism set during the Riyadh talks between Le Drian and Al-Aloula, in the presence of the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Waleed Bukhari, who will return to Beirut in the coming days as part of his role in creating a conducive environment and communicating with parliamentary blocs.

Some sources indicated that solutions for the presidential file do exist, and there have been shifts in the positions of the parties, showing more flexibility that could lead to agreements, breaking the current stagnation or deadlock.

According to available information, Le Drian, who remains in Riyadh, intends to visit Beirut after the Quintet’s meeting on Saturday.