Lebanon's Berri wants crisis end this month-paper

BEIRUT, Mar 11 (Reuters) An influential Lebanese opposition leader said in remarks printed today he wants to resolve the country's political crisis before an Arab summit this month, a Kuwaiti newspaper reported.

Al-Rai Al-Aam quoted Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, also leader of the opposition Amal movement, as saying he wanted to solve the crisis before the Arab summit in Saudi Arabia on March 28 and 29.

Berri last week met twice with majority leader Saad al-Hariri in talks aimed at ending the four-month-long crisis which has sparked Lebanon's worst civil violence since the 1975-1990 civil war.

Berri and Hariri are negotiating on behalf of their camps.

''I felt this time that the man had a sincere intention to reach a solution,'' Berri told Al-Rai Al-Aaam in an interview, in reference to Hariri.

''So far we have held two meetings and there are more meetings soon. I, personally, have an insistence ... on reaching a solution before the Arab summit'', he said.

Berri's meetings with Hariri last week were the first time the leaders had met since the crisis erupted in November, when opposition ministers resigned and declared as illegitimate the government, which is dominated by Hariri allies.

The opposition is demanding veto power in the cabinet.

Hariri is Lebanon's strongest Sunni Muslim leader while Amal and Hezbollah, which is also part of the opposition, represent most of Lebanon's Shi'ite Muslims. The crisis has raised sectarian tensions between their supporters.

''The desire to preserve Lebanon was the motivation for me and for Saad al-Hariri,'' Berri said.

Hariri and his anti-Syrian allies in government are supported by countries including Saudi Arabia and the United States while Amal and Hezbollah, which is also part of the opposition, are close to Damascus.

A summit of the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Iran, which is a main backer of Hezbollah, helped push the Lebanese rivals towards a solution.

Berri said there were Saudi-Iranian efforts and ''there are contacts which started between Saudi and Syria''.

A key demand for the ruling coalition is an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination in 2005 of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. The tribunal has yet to be ratified by parliament and the opposition fears it may be used as a political tool in its current form.

A UN inquiry has implicated Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the killing, though Syria denies involvement.

Reuters MS DB2324