Exclusive information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat revealed that Kuwait has shown willingness to send in-kind assistance to Lebanon, including medicine, medical supplies and food and promised that the Kuwaiti cabinet would study Beirut’s request to provide it with oil derivatives based on a bilateral agreement that expires end of this year.
According to the information, the head of General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, held talks with senior officials in Kuwait, with the exception of Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, to whom he was supposed to convey a letter from President Michel Aoun.
The sources noted that discussions touched on Lebanon’s stagnant relations with a number of Arab countries, adding that officials in Kuwait emphasized that normalizing Lebanese-Arab ties depended on Beirut’s adherence to the policy of dissociation from regional conflicts.
They also stressed that Lebanon should not be used as an arena for settling scores and for directing accusations at a number of Arab countries, in direct reference to Hezbollah.
In remarks earlier this week, Prime Minister Hassan Diab accused some Lebanese parties of working on blocking aid to Lebanon.
“You do know that contacts … with our friends around the world, are witnessing positive and encouraging progress towards helping Lebanon. However, there are people who still insist on increasing the suffering of the Lebanese,” said Diab during a cabinet session.
“Is it acceptable that there is a party official whose sole concern is to block any help?” he asked.
In response, a senior Arab diplomat in Beirut, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was inconceivable for the Lebanese Prime Minister to accuse a party figure of inciting against his government.
“Who told him that the Arab countries receive their orders and directions from Beirut and abide by what is dictated to them?” he asked.
The diplomat stressed that Arab states were not to blame for the stumbled talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and for shelving the dialogue over the national defense strategy, underlining the need for the country to adopt a policy of dissociation from regional axes and conflicts.
