Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa expressed his optimism in Cairo Monday with solution to the Lebanese problem, saying there is a chance to defuse the political crisis in the country.

Moussa made the remarks while returning to the Cairo-based AL headquarters from Beirut after his talks with senior Lebanese leaders on efforts to solve the country's political crisis, Egypt's official news agency MENA reported.

Moussa was quoted as saying that the Lebanon issue will be discussed on the sidelines of AL's Iraqi Committee meeting at foreign ministerial level on Tuesday, though the Iraqi situation to top the meeting agenda.

Likewise, the latest developments in the Palestinian territories will also be one of the topics to be discussed by the Arab officials, he added.

Moussa arrived in Beirut on Sunday. During his stay there, he

held a series of meetings with Lebanese leaders including Prime Minister Fouad Seniora, President Emile Lahoud and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, as well as leaders of rival political parties to discuss all proposed ideas to resolve the current political standoff in the Arab country.

"Contacts made to contain the Lebanese crisis are just starting in the hopes to reach a solution," Moussa said in Beirut, adding that he sensed a Lebanese tendency to end the standoff and expressing hopes that such talks would help avoid political divisions in Lebanon.

Moussa's visit to Lebanon came amid a deep political crisis which prompted the Lebanese opposition led by Hezbollah party to hold an open-ended protest calling on the Seniora government to resign to pave way for forming a new national unity one.

Source: Xinhua