RIYADH/BEIRUT: Saad Hariri, who resigned as Lebanon鈥檚 prime minister on Nov. 4, is in 抖阴短视频 of his own will and is free to leave whenever he pleases, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said Thursday.
Addressing a joint press conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh, Al-Jubeir rejected accusations from Beirut that Hariri is being held by the Kingdom.
鈥淎ccusing 抖阴短视频 of holding Hariri is completely baseless. It doesn鈥檛 hold merit as Hariri is free to go anywhere he wants,鈥� Al-Jubeir said, adding that Hariri has some concerns about the security situation in Lebanon.
The Saudi foreign minister said Hezbollah is disturbing regional peace and stability by supporting Houthi militias in Yemen, suppressing the will of the Syrian people and violating Lebanese law. Hezbollah must learn to 鈥渞espect Lebanon鈥檚 sovereignty,鈥� he added.
Wider consultations and coordination between countries are ongoing to allow peace and stability in Lebanon, and to restore its sovereignty, Al-Jubeir said.
Le Drian echoed Riyadh鈥檚 concerns, saying France is worried about Iran鈥檚 鈥渉egemonic鈥� intentions in the Middle East.
鈥淚鈥檓 thinking specifically about Iran鈥檚 ballistic program,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need to work in order to stop the spread of nuclear activities.鈥�
Le Drian added that he met Hariri, who will travel to France at President Emmanuel Macron鈥檚 invitation. 鈥淗e鈥檒l come to France as soon as he wants,鈥� Le Drian told reporters.
In his resignation speech from 抖阴短视频, Hariri condemned Iran and Hezbollah for sowing discord in Arab states, and said he feared assassination. His father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was killed in a 2005 bombing.
Le Drian said he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discussed cooperation in various fields, including implementing Vision 2030.
In response to a question on Riyadh hosting a meeting of Syrian opposition leaders, Al-Jubeir said they will be in the Saudi capital on Wednesday and Thursday next week with the aim of unifying their ranks ahead of direct negotiations in Geneva under UN supervision.
Le Drian expressed hope that violence in Syria will stop soon to make way for peace. 鈥淲e know Russia and Iran have some ability to stop it,鈥� he said.
All concerned parties should respect all sects and people of Syria, and the country should be unified by promoting harmony, Le Drian added.
Al-Jubeir thanked France鈥檚 leadership for condemning the recent Houthi missile attack on Riyadh.
He said both the Kingdom and France are peace-loving, and share common concerns that they discussed during their meeting, including confronting terrorism and resolving the Syrian and Yemeni crises in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
Macron condemned the Houthi missile attack over the Saudi capital during his first visit to the Middle East last week.
In Beirut, President Michel Aoun expressed hope that 鈥淗ariri鈥檚 acceptance of French President Macron鈥檚 invitation to visit Paris with his family would constitute a gateway for (finding) a solution to the crisis, which was caused by Hariri鈥檚 announcement of his resignation from Riyadh, with all the ambiguity that has caused about his situation.鈥�
Aoun added, 鈥淧rime Minister Hariri accepted the invitation of Macron.鈥�
President Aoun said that he would 鈥渨ait for Hariri鈥檚 return to Beirut to discuss with him the issue of resignation, which has not been accepted up to now, and when he comes he鈥檒l decide whether he still wants to resign or resume his position as prime minister. The resignation must be presented in Lebanon, and he has to stay in Lebanon until a new government is formed, because a caretaker prime minister is supposed to be in Lebanon.鈥�
Elias Bou Saab, President Aoun鈥檚 adviser for international affairs, said that the president鈥檚 statements on Wednesday were not meant to escalate the situation with 抖阴短视频 but to get it back to 鈥渄ialogue and communication.鈥� He stressed that relations between Lebanon and 抖阴短视频 鈥渉ave not reached the point of no-return.鈥�
Likaa Al-Joumhouria (Forum of the Republic), under the leadership of former President Michel Suleiman, called for 鈥渃alm on the Saudi-Lebanon line, and for waiting for the return of Hariri to avoid raising tension between the two brotherly countries.鈥� The forum hoped that the causes that forced Hariri into this situation would be 鈥渄ealt with in a way that would guarantee the neutrality of Lebanon away from conflicts.鈥�
Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, the grand mufti of Lebanon, said that 鈥渢he relationship between Lebanon and the Kingdom of 抖阴短视频 has been strong and deeply rooted since the independence of Lebanon, and it should be preserved, maintained and fortified, no matter what conditions Lebanon may experience. Lebanon needs the help of its Arab brethren, primarily 抖阴短视频, to solve the crisis it has been going through following the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and to review the causes of the resignation.鈥�
Mustapha Allouch, member of the Politburo of the Future Movement, said in a statement to Al-Markazia news agency that 鈥渁 superficial treatment of the crisis would not contribute to the solution but rather lead to repercussions complicating the situation even further.鈥� Allouch said that 鈥渢he return of Hariri is certainly linked to specific understandings between the Kingdom and European countries.鈥�
Allouch said that the meeting of Arab foreign ministers on Sunday would 鈥渇orm a landmark event for Lebanon,鈥� and stressed that the Lebanese foreign minister 鈥渟hould have a clear and frank position with the Arab consensus, which believes in the Lebanese interest and protects it from the repercussions of the huge tempest blowing through the region.鈥�
He said that Lebanon should 鈥渟tress its support for the Kingdom against Iranian aggression, not just adopt a self-distancing policy, but the insistence of the [Hezbollah] party on its policies means the continuation of the problem.鈥�