French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday a Saudi-French initiative to solve a diplomatic row between several Gulf states and Lebanon, Asharq TV reported.
Saudi Arabia expelled Lebanon’s envoy to the kingdom, recalled its ambassador to Beirut and banned Lebanese imports after comments made by former Lebanese information minister George Kordahi.
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Lebanon is facing a diplomatic crisis with Gulf states, spurred by critical comments by Information Minister Kordahi on the war in Yemen in late October that prompted Riyadh, Bahrain and Kuwait to expel Lebanon’s top diplomats and recall their own envoys. The UAE withdrew its envoys.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said last month that the kingdom’s decision to cut ties was driven by Iran-backed Hezbollah’s growing grip on Lebanon and that dealing with Lebanon’s Hezbollah-backed government “is not productive and not helpful.”
Read more:
France’s Macron says hoping for progress on Lebanon ‘within next hours’
Lebanon’s information minister resigns after Saudi Arabia comments
Saudi Arabia sees no purpose in engaging Lebanon at this time: FM
