Lebanese PM Hariri accepts invitation to France

PARIS — Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri accepts an invitation to visit France after his surprise resignation from Saudi Arabia nearly two weeks ago that rattled the region, the French president’s office says Thursday.

Hariri is expected in France in the coming days, according to an official in President Emmanuel Macron’s office, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to talk publicly to the media.

Lebanon President Michel Aoun said Hariri and his family will arrive Saturday in France, “where he will rest for few days” before returning to Beirut to make “a decision regarding the resignation.” Aoun’s statement was carried by the state-run National News Agency.

Aoun had welcomed Hariri’s decision to accept the French invitation, saying he hoped it “opened the door for a resolution” of the political crisis in Lebanon.

“I wait for the return of President (of the council of ministers) Hariri to decide the next move regarding the government,” Aoun told journalists. The comments were published on his official Twitter account.

Hariri announced his resignation Nov. 4 in a broadcast from Saudi Arabia. Aoun refused to accept it, accusing the Saudis of holding him against his will. In the broadcast, Hariri cited concerns over meddling by Iran and its Lebanese ally, the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, in regional affairs. He also said he fears for his life.

— AP