Michel Aoun speaks to journalists on October 20, 2016. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia has invited the newly elected Lebanese president to visit the oil-rich kingdom.
Saudi Prince Khaled al-Faisal told reporters Monday after meeting President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace near Beirut that the president has accepted the invitation and agreed to visit after a new cabinet is formed in Lebanon.
The president said in a statement that he is eager to strengthen ties with Riyadh.
Aoun was elected last month after a 29-month vacuum in the country’s top post.
Lebanon’s political factions are deeply divided, with some, like Aoun’s Christian party and the Hezbollah militant group, aligning with Iran and their opponents siding with Saudi Arabia.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
Lebanon’s newly nominated premier, Saad Hariri (C-R), takes part in the 14th annual Beirut Marathon on November 13, 2016 in the Lebanese capital. (AFP PHOTO / ANWAR AMRO)
The deal struck between the opposing blocs in parliament in October to make Aoun Lebanon’s head of state also saw Saad Hariri named prime minister, after the Sunni politician made an about face and threw his lot in with Aoun.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was the first foreign minister to meet Aoun after he took office, followed by a Syrian envoy.
In February, Saudi Arabia halted a $3 billion arms deal with Lebanon, a decision linked to the kingdom’s tensions with Iran. Iran and Hezbollah support Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Saudi Arabia backs the rebels trying to topple him.
Advertisement
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
