Lebanon PM Renews Call for Minister in Gulf Arab Row to 'Prioritize National Interest'

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. (AFP)
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. (AFP)
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Lebanon PM Renews Call for Minister in Gulf Arab Row to 'Prioritize National Interest'

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. (AFP)
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. (AFP)

Lebanon’s prime minister on Thursday again urged the information minister to “prioritize” Lebanon’s “national interest” over an unprecedented diplomatic rift with Saudi Arabia, but stopped short of asking him to submit his resignation.

The rift has threatened to destabilize the new government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, sworn in less than two months ago, and escalate Lebanon's economic tailspin.

“I hereby renew my calls on the information minister (George Kordahi) to judge his conscience and take the right position,” Reuters quoted Mikati as saying.

Mikati said the information minister’s resignation would help resolve a crisis with the kingdom and its Gulf Arab allies, and preserve the “depths and good relations with the Arab and Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia.”



UAE Interior Ministry: Extensive Search Underway for Missing Moldovan Man

UAE flag flies over a boat at Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates May 22, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo
UAE flag flies over a boat at Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates May 22, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo
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UAE Interior Ministry: Extensive Search Underway for Missing Moldovan Man

UAE flag flies over a boat at Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates May 22, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo
UAE flag flies over a boat at Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates May 22, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo

The UAE Ministry of Interior said on Saturday that it "received a report from the family of a Moldovan national named Zvi Kogan, stating that he had been missing and out of contact since last Thursday”.
The ministry confirmed that "relevant authorities began extensive search and investigation operations immediately upon receiving the report”, the UAE’s official news agency WAM reported Sunday.
The ministry also urged the public to obtain accurate information from official sources and not get misled by “malicious” rumors.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs is "closely following the case of the missing Moldovan citizen Zvi Kogan, maintaining communication with his family, and providing all necessary support”, it added..
Majed Al Mansouri, Director of the Foreign Nationals Affairs Department at the ministry, affirmed that the Ministry is closely monitoring the case and is in close contact with his family to provide them with all means of necessary support.
He also highlighted that the Ministry is in continuous contact with the Embassy of Moldova in Abu Dhabi in this regard.