UAE leader agrees with Aoun to reopen embassy in Beirut

UAE leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has congratulated Lebanon's new president, Joseph Aoun, on his election and expressed hopes for reopening the country's embassy in Beirut, state media said.

In a phone call, the United Arab Emirates' Sheikh Mohamed said he hoped "to work together for the mutual benefit and prosperity of both nations and their peoples, thereby enhancing regional security and stability," state news agency WAM reported.

Aoun, 61, was elected president by Lebanese lawmakers on Thursday, ending a more than two-year vacancy and marking a step towards lifting the war-battered country out of financial meltdown.

The army chief's election was praised by both the United States and Saudi Arabia, which has recently improved ties with Lebanon after years of strained relations.

WAM added that the two leaders "agreed to take the necessary steps to reopen the UAE Embassy in Beirut."

The UAE, alongside several other Gulf states, recalled its diplomats from Lebanon in October 2021 in "solidarity" with Riyadh over a Lebanese minister's criticism of the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen.

The Lebanese president expressed his "commitment to strengthening bilateral relations in the coming phase and commended the UAE's support for Lebanon at all levels."