French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault will pay a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a bid to reactivate the Saudi grant to arm the Lebanese army, al-Joumhouria daily reported Friday.

Ayrault explained, during his meeting with senior Lebanese officials on Thursday, his quest to reactivate the $3 billion grant of advanced French weapons manufactured in his country.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Thursday received a phone call from Saudi Arabia's powerful Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and met with visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Jaber Ansari.

The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, condemns the armed violence at the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in south Lebanon which “has again prevented children from attending school and vital health services from operating,” UNRWA Spokesperson Christopher Gunness said on Thursday.

A ceasefire was reached on Thursday evening at the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in the southern city of Sidon after renewed clashes killed a person and wounded several others throughout the day.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Thursday lauded the Christian representation in Saad Hariri's government, saying it “corrects” the implementation of the National Pact, while noting that the hybrid electoral laws that have been proposed by the rival parties have no chance of being approved.

President Michel Aoun announced Thursday that the new government will be guided by the presidential oath of office, a day after the 30-member Cabinet held its first meeting and devised a panel to devise its policy statement.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Thursday at the Grand Serail with the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Sigrid Kaag, and the Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Philippe Lazzarini.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil held a joint conference on Thursday with his visiting French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault where talks focused on boosting relations between the two countries to confront joint challenges, the National News Agency said.

“Both sides are called forth to re-establish and boost Lebanese-French ties facing common challenges, terrorism, and migration,” Bassil stated.

Minister of Economy, Raed Khoury stressed on Thursday that fighting corruption is one of the priorities that the new tenure and the Free Patriotic Movement will focus on, the state-run National News Agency reported.

“Fighting corruption is the new era and the FPM's priorities,” said Khoury, stressing that price monitoring and control have begun with the start of the holidays.

President Michel Aoun held a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and his accompanying delegation at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, the state-run National News Agency reported on Thursday.

Ayrault who arrived Wednesday evening, left the Baabda Palace without making a statement, NNA added.