Lebanon's national dialogue deferred till June 29

The 8th round of Lebanon's national dialogue, which started in Beirut Thursday, failed to reach any conclusion on the defensive strategy and will be resumed on June 29.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told a press conference that political leaders had agreed on "a pact of honor" in Thursday's session after the broadcast of a caricature of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by the Christian television station LBCI sparked violent protests by the group's supporters.

Berri said that the delegates, however, vowed to respect each other, refrain from insults and avoid triggering further political and sectarian tensions.

The meeting will continue on June 29 to try once more to discuss UN Security Council's demands for disarmament of Hezbollah along with other armed factions in Lebanon.

Previous sessions have debated the fate of pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, strains in Lebanese-Syrian relations, the investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafiq al-Hariri and UN Security Council Resolution 1559 calling for the disarming of all militias.

Meanwhile, participants have agreed to establish an international court to try suspects in Hariri's killing, dismantle Palestinian militant bases outside refugee camps within a six- month period, which has not started yet, and normalize relations with Syria.

Source: Xinhua