Hariri Stresses his Imminent Return, Aoun Receives Call from Merkel

President Michel Aoun meets with Kuwaiti Ambassador to Lebanon at the Baabda Palace on Tuesday (Dalati & Nohra)

Lebanon’s outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri reassured the Lebanese people of his imminent return to Beirut, tweeting on Tuesday that he was doing well and that his family would remain in Saudi Arabia, “the Kingdom of goodness”.
 
In Beirut, Hariri’s Future Bloc emphasized the need to “preserve the basic national principles and to restore respect for the Constitution, the Taif Accord, and the ministerial statement that includes dissociating Lebanon from regional conflicts and adopting a policy of self-restraint by refraining from interfering in Arab countries’ internal affairs.”
 
“We affirm the need to hold onto national principles, including isolating Lebanon from the region’s conflicts and committing to the dissociation policy as well as [UN Security Council] Resolution 1701,” Future Movement MP Mohammad Hajjar said, reading the bloc’s statement following Tuesday’s meeting.
 
Meanwhile, President Michel Aoun reiterated that Hariri’s return to Beirut would help the country understand the circumstances behind the premier’s resignation.
 
“The return of Prime Minister Saad Hariri to Beirut, as announced in his television interview, will allow further discussions over the reasons and circumstances that had accompanied the announcement of the resignation,” Aoun said.
 
He also expressed satisfaction with the “international reactions in support of Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, free national decision and non-interference in its affairs.”
 
Aoun met with Kuwaiti Ambassador to Lebanon Abdelaal Al-Qenaei, who reaffirmed his country’s support for the efforts deployed by the president in order to overcome the situation that emerged following Hariri’s resignation.
 
He added that the Kuwaiti Emir emphasized Kuwait’s firm support for Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty, and freedom.
 
Also on Tuesday, Aoun received a phone call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who stressed her solidarity with Lebanon and support for ongoing efforts to restore stability in the country.
 
Merkel said she was holding ongoing contacts with European countries to address the current crisis in Lebanon.