Salam meets with Saudi crown prince in Mecca

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Sunday in Mecca with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman after performing the Eid al-Fitr prayer with him at Mecca’s Grand Mosque.

Al-Jadeed TV had reported that Salam traveled Saturday evening to Saudi Arabia aboard a private Saudi jet.

A statement carried by the Saudi news agency said Salam and bin Salman discussed “the bilateral ties between the two countries, the developments of the situations in Lebanon and the region, and the efforts exerted toward them.”

The Lebanese Premiership meanwhile said Salam lauded Saudi Arabia’s hosting of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese workers while praising the efforts to lift the ban on Lebanese exports and on the travel of Saudis to the country, noting that “Lebanon is carrying on with the policy of reforms, especially the financial and institutional among them, in order to boost investments and revive the country’s economy.”

Salam also said that the Lebanese government “will continue to exert its authority across its territory, with its own forces, according to the Taif Agreement and in a manner that achieves the country’s safety and stability and creates a safe environment for investors and tourists.”

The Saudi crown prince for his part underscored that “Saudi Arabia will always stand by Lebanon” and is “keen on the restoration of its prosperity in the various fields, through establishing security and stability and conducting the necessary reforms,” the Premiership said.

The crown prince also called for “benefiting from all the chances available today to achieve that and overcome the continuous crises.”