Saudi Envoy Invites Hariri to Arab-Islamic Summit with Trump
Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Thursday at the Grand Serail with the Chargé d'affaires of the Saudi Embassy in Lebanon, Walid Al-Bukhari, and discussed with him the developments, the PM's office said.
“I was honored to present an invitation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, to Prime Minister Hariri to participate in the Arab-Islamic-American Summit, which will be held on May 21 in Saudi Arabia,” Bukhari said after the meeting.
“The aim of the Summit is to work towards the establishment of a new partnership to confront extremism and terrorism and reinforce the values of tolerance and better living for the future of our generations in the Arab region,” the envoy added.
The summit will be attended by U.S. President Donald Trump during his upcoming visit to the kingdom.
Saudi media said King Abdullah II of Jordan, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Niger's Mahamadou Issoufou are among leaders invited by King Salman for the summit with Trump.
Trump has frequently been accused of fueling Islamophobia but aides described his decision to visit Saudi Arabia as an effort to reset relations with the Muslim world.
There will also be a separate meeting between monarchs of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and Trump, as well as bilateral talks between the Saudi and U.S. leaders, Riyadh's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir has said.
In addition to heads of state from Jordan, Algeria and Niger, the official Saudi Press Agency reported that Salman asked Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and Morocco's King Mohammed VI to attend.
The leaders of Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq and Tunisia have also received invitations, the Arab News daily reported on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia -- which is home to Islam's holiest sites -- will be Trump's first foreign stop since becoming president in January.
"It is a clear message to the world that the United States and the Arab and Islamic countries can form a partnership," Jubeir said in Washington, according to SPA.
The Saudis have found a more favorable ear in Washington under Trump, who has echoed their concerns about Iran's influence in the region.
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