Saudi's foreign minister to visit Lebanon for first time in 15 years

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud visits Lebanon on Thursday in the first trip to Beirut by Riyadh's top diplomat in 15 years, seeking a commitment to reform as the Gulf state reasserts sway in the country.

Prince Faisal is expected to meet Lebanon's new President Joseph Aoun and its Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam. Both took office this month, marking a new phase for a country that has been mired in financial crisis since 2019 and is now facing a reconstruction bill of billions of dollars.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia regarded the election of a Lebanese president after a vacuum of more than two years as extremely positive. He expressed hope that a new Lebanese government would be formed "in the not too distant future."

"We will need to see real action, we will need to see real reform, we will need to see a commitment to a Lebanon that is looking to the future, not to the past, in order for us to raise our engagement," he said.

"I plan to be visiting Lebanon this week, and I think, based on what I hear there and what we see, I think that will inform the kingdom's approach," he added. Lebanese officials said he is expected on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia once spent billions in Lebanon, depositing funds in the central bank, helping to rebuild the south after a 2006 Hizbollah-Israel war.

Salam, in comments to reporters on Wednesday, said he was committed to forming a government that meets the aspirations of the Lebanese people. "I want my government to be one of recovery and reform," he said.

Cabinet formation talks in Lebanon can often drag on as sectarian-aligned groups barter over ministerial portfolios.
Israel dealt massive blows to Hezbollah during last year's war, killing many of its leaders including Hassan Nasrallah.

Reuters