Saudi Arabia’s FM plans to visit Lebanon after years of strained relations
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister announced plans to visit Lebanon this week, which would mark the first such trip in years amid strained relations between the two countries.
Speaking at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan hailed Lebanon’s recent political breakthroughs as “extremely positive.”
Lebanon's new president and prime minister are seen as independent of Lebanon’s entrenched political class.
“We will need to see real action, real reform and a commitment to a Lebanon that is looking to the future, not to the past, in order for us to re-raise our engagement,” Frahan said.
Saudi-Lebanese relations have been strained for years, driven by issues such as the growing influence of Hezbollah and the smuggling of the amphetamine-like stimulant Captagon in produce shipments, which prompted a trade ban on Lebanon.
“It is really up to the Lebanese to decide and make the choices and to take Lebanon in a different direction,” he added. He did not specify which day he would arrive in Lebanon this week.
Source: Associated Press
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