Qatar has extended an invitation for the countries of the Quintet to meet in Doha on the 13th of this month, marking a new development in the Arab and international focus on the presidential deadline in Lebanon.
While the proposed meeting date for the Quintet is still subject to consultation, the mere issuance of this invitation indicates that Lebanon remains under external scrutiny.
Diplomatic sources informed "Nidaa al-Watan" that Qatar, as a member of the Quintet that originated from Paris, attached its invitation to the countries of the committee, which also includes the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, along with a proposed agenda for the meeting next Thursday.
According to these sources, the agenda includes general topics related to the Lebanese file.
One of the initial responses to the Qatari invitation suggests a desire from one of the committee parties to postpone the date from the 13th to the 17th.
As for the French reaction, there was no enthusiasm for the proposed date. France expressed a desire to postpone the meeting until September to allow Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian to complete his efforts in Lebanon.
The French position coincides with information that Paris has decided to appoint Le Drian as the head of the French Agency for the Development of Al-Ula City in Saudi Arabia.
He will assume his new position in September. However, in his new role, he will be closer to the relationship between Paris and Riyadh.
Sources pointed out two opinions in France regarding consultations on the presidential deadline. The first confines the consultations to the presidential deadline. In contrast, the second expands them to include the presidency, dialogue, reforms, and work programs.
On the other hand, the sources confirm that both Saudi Arabia and Qatar have informed those concerned that they reject any expansion of the dialogue that would reflect an amendment to the Lebanese system based on the Taif Agreement.
As for the Americans, according to the sources, they find themselves in a position between Qatar and France, meaning that they do not have a separate opinion but intersect with Qatar in supporting the nomination of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun for the presidency.
At the same time, the French side affirmed that Paris is no longer part of the proposal to nominate the head of the Marada Movement, Sleiman Frangieh, for the presidency.
However, the continued adoption of Frangieh's nomination by the "Shiite Duo" makes the convergence of the parties involved in nominating General Joseph Aoun a matter that requires time to reach a conclusion, which means that the vacuum is likely to be prolonged, possibly until the end of this year or beyond.
In a related context to the French position, the sources indicate that next month is a time for vacations in France, which means that the resumption of contacts will begin in September or October. Thus the consultations will be postponed until after the summer season.