Lebanese President Meets Saudi Crown Prince on First Foreign Trip

Photo : SPA

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun made his first foreign visit since becoming president. He met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Monday. The Saudi news agency confirmed the meeting but did not share details of their talk. This visit is seen as an important step to improve ties between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Lebanon is facing big problems, both in politics and the economy, and Aoun’s visit may help bring support.

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Aoun was elected president on January 9 after Lebanon had no leader for more than two years. Before becoming president, he was the army chief and was known to have good relations with Saudi Arabia and the United States. His election was made possible after Hezbollah, a powerful group in Lebanon supported by Iran, became weaker due to its war with Israel. Many believe Aoun’s leadership could bring a change in Lebanon’s politics, with Saudi Arabia playing a bigger role again.

Before meeting the Saudi Crown Prince, Aoun shared a message on social media, saying he was hopeful about the talks. He said he wanted this visit to open the way for stronger ties between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia in the future.

Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have had problems in their relations for many years. In 2016, Saudi Arabia stopped $3 billion in military aid to the Lebanese army because of Hezbollah’s strong influence in Lebanon’s politics. However, Aoun has shown interest in fixing relations. In an interview last week with Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, he said he would try to bring back military aid if possible.

Aoun said he chose Saudi Arabia as his first visit because of its deep connections with Lebanon. He also praised Saudi Arabia’s power in both the region and the world. He hoped that this visit would help solve past issues and bring the two countries closer again. Aoun also spoke about growing business ties between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. He suggested that Lebanon could be part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, which aims to grow the economy beyond oil.

“This will allow Saudi people to return to their second home, Lebanon. At the same time, Lebanese people want to rebuild their friendship with Saudi Arabia,” Aoun said.

When he became president, Aoun promised to bring back full government control over weapons in Lebanon. This was seen as a message to Hezbollah, which is the only group that still has weapons from the Lebanese civil war that ended in 1990. He also said he wanted Lebanon to stay neutral in conflicts and to have the best relations with Arab countries.

Besides his visit to Saudi Arabia, Aoun has been invited by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to an emergency Arab summit on Gaza. This meeting will take place in Cairo on Tuesday and will focus on the crisis in Gaza and peace in the region.

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