Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati considered the return of Gulf ambassadors to Beirut as a prelude to restoring full Gulf-Lebanese relations, his office said on Sunday.
The PM’s statement came while he received a phone call from Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid bin Abdullah Bukhari, who returned to Beirut last week.
Bukhari congratulated Mikati on the advent of the blessed month of Ramadan and invited him to an Iftar he is organizing at the embassy, the office said.
It added that the call was an occasion to confirm the depth of Lebanon’s Arab relations and Mikati’s appreciation of the return of Gulf ambassadors to Lebanon, explaining that the PM considers the move as a prelude to restoring these relations to a full recovery.
Bukhari then praised the PM’s efforts to protect Lebanon at these difficult circumstances and restore Lebanese-Saudi relations.
Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah said during a phone call with Mikati on Sunday that Gulf countries are looking forward to the stability, security, and recovery of Lebanon.
The Foreign Minister stressed "ties that unite Kuwait and Lebanon in particular are very solid, and are becoming stronger.”
He affirmed that Kuwait will spare no effort to support Lebanon and help it rise again, and praised the PM’s efforts in consolidating Lebanese-Gulf relations.
The PM thanked Kuwait, the Emir and the government, for their permanent support for Lebanon and for their efforts to restore Lebanese-Gulf ties.
"These efforts are appreciated by all the Lebanese,” Mikati said.
