Lebanese President Michel Suleiman stressed Monday on the positivity of previous national dialogue session and prospects of the next stage, calling on leaders to set a quick date for the next national dialogue session, National News Agency reported.

Suleiman's remarks came during the opening of the sixth session of National Dialogue held at the presidential palace in Baaba, in the absence of Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi, Head of Almustaqbal Movement and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the Lebanese forces leader Samir Geagea.

Lebanese leaders gathered for the first time in 19 months to discuss a national defense strategy and the spread of arms in cities.

This session comes amid fears that tensions in northern Lebanon 's Tripoli neighborhoods of Sunni Bab el Tebbaneh and Alawite Jabal Mohsen and gunfights between armed groups in various parts of the country might push Lebanon to the brink of civil war.

"We are invited to speak with openness to reach solutions. Lebanese people depend on this meeting, which should be followed by sessions as soon as possible," Suleiman said.

Stressing the importance of stability, the president said " Stability is crucial at this time... from all surrounding considerable political, economic and security crises."

Unrest in the Middle East region, the Syrian crisis with its impact on Lebanon, as well as the ongoing Israeli threats against Lebanon, were "major threats" that required the holding of dialogue conference, Suleiman said.

Suleiman said in his invitation that the March 8 majority and March 14 opposition leaders will discuss the defense strategy and how to benefit from Hizbullah's arms, ways to disarm Palestinian bases outside refugee camps and resolve the proliferation of weapons in Lebanese cities.

The meeting was preceded by closed-door talks between Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati and later between the president and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.