Saudi Arabia will continue supporting Lebanon and is optimistic about the country’s future after a ceasefire brought an end to a war between Israel and the militant Iran-aligned Hizbollah group, the kingdom’s foreign minister said from Beirut.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan told reporters he stressed the importance of reforms in his meeting with Lebanon’s newly elected President Joseph Aoun, in the first trip to Beirut by Riyadh’s top diplomat in 15 years.
“I expressed to him that we believe in the importance of the reforms he presented so that Lebanon can overcome its crises,” Prince Faisal said.
The visit reflects seismic political shifts in Lebanon since Israel pummelled Hizbollah in last year’s war, and since Hizbollah’s Syrian ally Bashar Al Assad was toppled by rebels in December.
“The kingdom is looking at Lebanon’s future with optimism under the reformist approach that came in the president’s speech after his inauguration.”
“These reforms will boost the confidence of Lebanon’s partners and open space for the country to regain its rightful place in the Arab and international spheres,” he added.
Aoun said he will work to ensure the state has the exclusive right to carry arms.
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