West Asia ceasefire likely next week

MOSCOW: Lebanon hopes a ceasefire in the current conflict will be achieved next week, the country's parliamentary majority leader, Saad Hariri, said here on Friday.

"We hope that a ceasefire will be achieved next week," Hariri was quoted by ITAR-TASS news agency as saying.

"We are now demanding an immediate ceasefire," he said after meeting the secretary of Russia's Security Council, Igor Ivanov.

Hariri acknowledged differences among Lebanon's political players on efforts in the UN Security Council to agree on a resolution for halting the fighting, but said: "Now the points of view of these sides are drawing closer".

"We hope that a peace plan put forward by Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and the Lebanese government will be reflected in the UN Security Council's resolution," he said.

"All countries that are participating in this process are calling on Israel to immediately stop firing," Hariri said.

Hariri was holding talks with officials and parliament deputies on his visit to Russia, which is a permanent member of the Security Council and a member of the diplomatic "quartet" on Middle East peace.

Russia has repeatedly urged an immediate ceasefire in the current Middle East crisis.