Lebanese President Michel Aoun says his nation needs the “greatest relations” with Saudi Arabia and different Gulf nations amid an ongoing diplomatic rift with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
In an unique interview with Al Jazeera, Aoun mentioned on Monday night that his nation is searching for to reconcile with Saudi Arabia, which severed diplomatic ties with Beirut final month.
The disaster erupted final month after video footage circulated on-line from an August interview by which Lebanese Info Minister George Kordahi made essential remarks in regards to the Saudi-led coalition’s struggle in opposition to the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Kordahi, a former sport present host, mentioned the Iran-aligned Houthis are “defending themselves … in opposition to an exterior aggression”. Kordahi is a member of a small Christian occasion allied with Hezbollah, which backs the Houthis in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has distanced itself from Lebanon in recent times, typically criticising it for Hezbollah’s rising affect in politics. Riyadh considers Hezbollah a “terrorist” organisation.
Hezbollah has praised Kordahi for his remarks.
In response, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain recalled their envoys from Beirut and expelled their Lebanese ambassadors. Saudi Arabia additionally banned all Lebanese imports into the dominion in a giant blow to Beirut’s already crippled financial system.
Bahrain and the UAE known as on their residents to go away the nation, whereas Yemen has additionally since recalled its envoy from Beirut.
The Lebanese authorities have known as for dialogue with their Saudi counterparts.
President Aoun has dismissed Kordahi’s feedback and mentioned they don’t mirror the Lebanese authorities’s place.
However he clarified that he has not requested Kordahi to resign from workplace over the remarks. He added that Kordahi will act in Lebanon’s greatest curiosity.
“When a Saudi journalist insulted me on the air, no motion was taken in opposition to him,” Aoun, whose Free Patriotic Motion occasion is in alliance with Hezbollah motion, mentioned.
The Lebanese president on Monday met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani throughout which they mentioned the GCC disaster, amongst different issues.
Qatar, additionally a GCC member, reportedly supplied to mediate talks between the 2 sides. Nevertheless, Al Jazeera couldn’t independently confirm the report.
The 2 talked about developments of mutual curiosity regionally and internationally, in addition to methods to boost bilateral relations.
Aoun urged Qatar to put money into Lebanon amid ongoing civil unrest over the financial conditions at residence, saying his nation desperately wanted a number of investments in numerous fields.
Dwindling financial system
Aoun additionally spoke about different points, together with the investigation into the 2020 Beirut port blast, and the function of the highly effective armed Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Talking in regards to the investigation into the lethal Beirut port explosion, which passed off on August 4, 2020, Aoun mentioned he didn’t agree with Hezbollah’s stance.
The group had repeatedly known as for changing Decide Tarek Bitar, who has been main the investigations, over the allegations of “bias” which have been broadly dismissed by rights teams and households of blast victims.
Final month, Bitar was compelled to cease work for a 3rd time over a lawsuit introduced ahead by a former minister who had been summoned for questioning.
Aoun additionally mentioned Lebanon’s central financial institution is below a felony investigation. Luxembourg judicial authorities had opened “a felony case” in relation to Governor Riad Salameh – who Aoun mentioned is accountable for all the cash misplaced.
The Lebanese pound has misplaced virtually 90 % of its worth since late 2019 – the primary driving pressure that has crushed the nation’s financial system which is now in tatters.
Earlier this 12 months, the World Financial institution mentioned Lebanon’s financial and monetary disaster might rank as one of many three severest the world has seen because the mid-Nineteenth century.
Within the wide-ranging interview to the Doha-based community, the Lebanese president reiterated that parliamentary elections will likely be held as scheduled and that measures are being taken to organise the March 27 occasion.
Because of the ongoing political and financial disaster, in addition to the controversial electoral legislation – which stipulates that Lebanon’s parliament is proportioned primarily based on the state’s a number of non secular and sectarian denominations – there was hypothesis that the election may very well be postponed.