French diplomat: MBS told Macron 'yes for Franjieh'

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said yes to French President Emmanuel Macron for Suleiman Franjieh, the French daily Le Monde quoted a French diplomat as saying.

The newspaper said that the Saudi-Syrian rapprochement has increased the presidential chances of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's personal friend.

Macron chose Franjieh after the Paris meeting to break the Lebanese presidential impasse in a settlement under which Franjieh would be elected as president in return for the appointment as premier of ex-ambassador to the U.N. and former International Court of Justice judge Nawaf Salam.

The French officially say they do not support a specific candidate, and KSA says it doesn't want to interfere in a Lebanese affair and want the Lebanese to choose their leader by themselves.

On Thursday, Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari met Franjieh at his residence in Yarze.

Conflicting media reports then emerged, some considering the meeting as an ordinary meeting and others considering it a major Saudi shift from veto to dialogue.