A meeting between a key member of the AMAL Movement, Ali Hassan Khalil and head of the Free Patriotic Movement Jebran Bassil took place on Thursday, marking an improvement in ties between the two parties after some conflict emerged against the backdrop the presidential elections, media reports said Friday.
Khalil, who is also Finance Minister, and Bassil, a Foreign Minister, met at a luncheon banquet held in the foreign ministry and in the presence of General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, who has been working on mending ties and ending the conflict between AMAL Movement and the FPM.
Al-Joumhouria daily reported the atmospheres during the meeting as very positive and eager for a reconciliation. It has also been agreed to hold more future contacts in order to reach an agreement on various issues.
Relations between the two parties were shaken after AMAL leader Speaker Nabih Berri nominated Marada Movement MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidential post, while the FPM was backing its founder Michel Aoun –who won the elections in October 31, 2016.
Fight over the distribution of ministerial portfolios aggravated the conflict further.
Each party holds the other responsible for the strained ties, and for transforming a previously political, governmental coalition into a rift that made Speaker and AMAL leader Berri announce that he will join the ranks of the opposition in the new term of newly elected president Michel Aoun.
Although Hizbullah party had tried to improve the relations between its two allies and was successful in getting their pledge to reduce tense media rhetoric, but a number of controversial issues similar to the electricity file, continue to shake the ties.
