Salam Meets Asiri as he Gears up for Gulf Tour

Prime Minister Tammam Salam met with Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Asiri on Wednesday to express Beirut's willingness to stay in contact with the Saudi leadership.

Salam intends to send a message to Riyadh on Lebanon's desire to keep the ties with the Saudi leadership ahead of a planned visit to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

Asiri did not give details on the result of the talks that took place at the Grand Serail.

He said he will deliver Salam's message to the "wise" Saudi leadership.

According to the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah newspaper, the ministerial delegation that will accompany the PM on his Gulf tour will not include a Hizbullah representation.

Over half of the 24-member government will travel with Salam. But Hizbullah ministers Mohammed Fneish and Hussein al-Hajj Hassan will not be among them, the daily said.

The premier decided during an extraordinary cabinet session that he chaired on Monday to travel to Gulf countries following Saudi Arabia's announcement that it was halting deals worth $4 billion aimed at equipping and supporting Lebanese security forces in retaliation for Lebanon siding with Iran in the Sunni kingdom's spat with the Shiite power.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, who heads the Free Patriotic Movement that is allied with Hizbullah, declined to support Saudi resolutions against Iran during two recent meetings of Arab and Muslim foreign ministers.

Making things worse, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday urged their citizens not to travel to Lebanon.

Asiri told the Saudi Okaz newspaper published on Wednesday that the number of Saudi nationals in Lebanon is small.

Most of them are students and the rest are permanent residents.

The Saudi embassy in Beirut is working around the clock to help them with the arrangements for their return home if they are willing to do so, said Asiri.

G.K.

D.A.