Hizbullah assured on Friday that its relations with President Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement are “firm”, and assured that the party does not demur Aoun's travel to Saudi Arabia as the first trip the president is scheduled to take abroad, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

Following the latest reports alleging that Aoun's scheduled visit to Saudi Arabia has “angered” Iran and “bemused” Hizbullah, party sources recalled the announcement of Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah where he said “he has no problem with that,” the sources told the daily on condition of anonymity.

The Higher Defense Council held its first meeting at the Baabda Palace under the chairmanship of President Michel Aoun and in the presence of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, director-general of the State Security apparatus, Maj. Gen. George Qaraa and other security officials, the National News Agency reported Thursday.

The military and security chiefs and judicial authorities attended the meeting, NNA added.

President Michel Aoun met on Thursday with relatives of the servicemen kidnapped by the Islamic State extremist group, the National News Agency reported.

The meeting was held in the presence of General Security chief Maj. Gen.Abbas Ibrahim, NNA added.

Education Minister Marwan Hamadeh said Progressive Socialist Party has voiced reservations over the approval of cabinet decrees related to the oil excavation file, because it failed to recognize the establishment of a national company to represent the country, and to establish a sovereign fund to save the money, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

PSP ministers, Hamadeh and State Minister for Human Rights, Ayman Shqeir, voiced reservations over the approval of the oil decrees during a cabinet session held on Wednesday.

President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri are determined to solve the crisis linked to the General Directory of State Security, and therefore director-general of the apparatus, Maj. Gen. George Qaraa was invited to attend the Higher Defense Council meeting at the Presidential Palace, al-Joumhouria daily reported Thursday.

The President will preside a meeting of the Higher Defense Council at 11:00 a.m. in Baabda, to give some guidance to the involved security chiefs, and determine the work of the Council in light of the powers conferred to it, the daily said.

The Syrian opposition accused Hizbullah on Wednesday of preventing Russian officials from entering the Wadi Barada area near Damascus to assess water infrastructure damaged by clashes.

"A checkpoint belonging to the Hizbullah militia prevented the Russian officers from entering," Ahmed Ramadan of the National Coalition opposition body said in a message to journalists.

State Prosecutor Samir Hammoud on Wednesday sent a memo via the Justice Ministry to a Turkish prosecutor regarding the Istanbul nightclub massacre that left 39 people dead including three Lebanese, state-run National News Agency reported.

The Cabinet approved Wednesday the long-awaited oil and gas decrees and appointed two successors to Abdul Menhem Youssef -- the controversial director general of the OGERO telecom authority who was also serving as director general of investment and maintenance at the telecom ministry.

Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday warned against “procrastination” in finalizing the new electoral law, stressing that “proportional representation is the most appropriate and essential system for building a modern state in Lebanon.”

A terrorist cell loyal to fugitive militant Shadi al-Mawlawi and the jihadist al-Nusra Front group was charged Wednesday with plotting to stage terrorist acts on New Year's Eve among other serious charges.