U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is due to arrive in Beirut Wednesday on a short visit expected to focus on the presidential election stalemate and the flow of Syrian refugees into Lebanon, political sources said.

 

Making his first trip to Lebanon since becoming secretary of state, Kerry will meet separately with Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Tammam Salam for talks likely to center on the urgent need to choose a successor to former President Michel Sleiman, whose six-year term ended on May 25, the sources said. When contacted by The Daily Star, the U.S. Embassy could not confirm or deny that Kerry was coming to Beirut. A few months before Sleiman’s mandate ended, President Barack Obama and other U.S. officials called for the presidential election to be held on time and without foreign interference. They have also reiterated U.S. support for maintaining security and stability in Lebanon. [Link]