Saudi Arabia optimistic about Lebanon under reforms, Saudi FM says in Beirut

Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud attends a session during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, January 21, 2025 (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud attends a session during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, January 21, 2025 (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Saudi Arabia will continue supporting Lebanon and is optimistic about the country’s future after a ceasefire brought an end to a war between Israel and Iran-aligned Hezbollah, the kingdom’s foreign minister says from Beirut.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud tells reporters he stressed the importance of reforms in his meeting with Lebanon’s newly elected President Joseph Aoun, in the first trip to Beirut by Riyadh’s top diplomat in 15 years.

“I expressed to him that we believe in the importance of the reforms he presented so that Lebanon can overcome its crises,” Prince Faisal says.

The visit reflects seismic political shifts in Lebanon since Israel pummeled Hezbollah in last year’s war, and since Hezbollah’s Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad was toppled by rebels in December.

“The kingdom is looking at Lebanon’s future with optimism under the reformist approach that came in the president’s speech after his inauguration,” the prince says.

“These reforms will boost the confidence of Lebanon’s partners and open space for the country to regain its rightful place in the Arab and international spheres,” he adds.

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