Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Beirut urged Lebanese political parties on Tuesday to quickly agree a new government to pull the country from financial crisis after months of political wrangling.
A standoff between President Michel Aoun and Saad al-Hariri, who was designated as prime minister last October, has delayed a deal on a new government as Lebanon’s worst crisis in decades spirals.
“I stressed the need to put the higher national interest first to launch drastic reforms that can restore the international community’s confidence in Lebanon,” Saudi ambassador Walid Bukhari said after meeting Aoun in his first visit to the presidential palace since 2019.
Foreign donors have said they will not bail out the state, which is drowning in debt, unless Lebanese politicians tackle graft and waste - the root causes of the collapse.
Lebanon’s political deadlock intensified this week in a public war of words between Aoun and Hariri, a three-time premier.
After the Tuesday meeting with Aoun, who is a political ally of Hezbollah, the Saudi envoy said the Kingdom stood by Lebanon and its sovereignty.
He also reiterated the importance of a UN resolution that called for all militias in Lebanon to disarm, in a reference to Hezbollah’s arsenal.
He underscored the importance of implementing UN Security Council resolutions 1701 and 1559, while stressing that the 1989 Taif Accord “safeguards Lebanon’s national unity and peace.”
