Mikati: We Won’t Allow Harm to Security of Saudi Arabia or Gulf States

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati attends a joint press conference after his meeting with his Jordanian counterpart at the Grand Serail in Beirut, on September 30, 2021. (AFP)
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati attends a joint press conference after his meeting with his Jordanian counterpart at the Grand Serail in Beirut, on September 30, 2021. (AFP)
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Mikati: We Won’t Allow Harm to Security of Saudi Arabia or Gulf States

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati attends a joint press conference after his meeting with his Jordanian counterpart at the Grand Serail in Beirut, on September 30, 2021. (AFP)
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati attends a joint press conference after his meeting with his Jordanian counterpart at the Grand Serail in Beirut, on September 30, 2021. (AFP)

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati underlined the government’s commitment to restore normal relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, stressing that the phone call with the Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al Sabah, “falls within this framework.”

In a statement on Monday, Mikati said: “I renew the Lebanese government’s commitment to adopt the necessary and required measures to bolster cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.”

He added that Lebanon “adheres to all decisions of the Arab League and of international legitimacy,” pledging to conduct “serious and concrete work” to implement their provisions “in a manner that guarantees Lebanon’s civil peace and national stability and fortifies its unity.”

Moreover, the Lebanese premier emphasized the country’s abidance by the Riyadh agreement for judicial cooperation and the extradition of wanted persons.

He said the government “will spare no effort to prevent the use of Lebanese financial and banking channels to carry out financial transactions that may affect the security of the Kingdom and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.”

He also stressed “commitment to the provisions of the Kuwaiti initiative.”



Arab League Delegation to Visit Syria Next Week

Arab League headquarters in Cairo (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Arab League headquarters in Cairo (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Arab League Delegation to Visit Syria Next Week

Arab League headquarters in Cairo (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Arab League headquarters in Cairo (Asharq Al-Awsat)

A delegation from the Arab League is set to visit Damascus next week, the league’s assistant secretary-general, Ambassador Hossam Zaki, told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Zaki, who will head the delegation, said preparations are ongoing to finalize the visit’s agenda. The trip will include meetings with various Syrian parties, as well as discussions with the new administration led by Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
Earlier this month, Asharq Al-Awsat quoted an informed Arab diplomatic source as saying that the Arab League was intending to dispatch a delegation to Damascus to “open communication channels with the new authorities and understand their perspective.”
The league has been planning this visit for some time, coordinating with the new Syrian administration to ensure it moves forward smoothly. According to Zaki, the visit aims to “compile a report for Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and member states about the changes in Syria.”
While some Arab nations have already engaged with the new Syrian leadership, Zaki noted that many of the League’s 22 member states have yet to do so.
He explained that the visit will provide these countries with an updated understanding of developments in Syria and give the Syrian administration an opportunity to present its vision for the future.
Last Sunday, Riyadh hosted a ministerial meeting involving Arab and Western officials to discuss Syria. The meeting included the Secretary-General of the Arab League, the Secretary-General of the GCC, and foreign ministers from Egypt, Syria, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Oman, Lebanon, and Bahrain, as well as representatives from Western countries.
When asked whether the outcomes of the Riyadh meeting would influence the Arab League’s visit to Damascus, Zaki emphasized that while the Riyadh meeting’s results are significant, they will not change the visit’s main objective: to assess the situation on the ground in Syria, consult with various parties, and prepare a detailed report for member states.
The Arab Ministerial Contact Group on Syria convened in Aqaba, Jordan, on December 14, 2024, where it reaffirmed its support for the Syrian people during the transitional phase.
Syrian political writer and researcher Ghassan Youssef described the league’s visit to Damascus as a “mission focused on familiarization, fact-finding, and public relations.”
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Youssef said: “Syria is in a transitional phase, and the new administration must be engaged.” He added that the planned National Dialogue Conference in Damascus and upcoming elections could bolster the legitimacy of the country’s new leadership and encourage deeper Arab and Western engagement.
In May 2023, the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers held an emergency meeting in Cairo, reinstating Syria’s membership in the Arab League. This decision ended a suspension imposed in November 2011.