President Michel Aoun held on Tuesday the long anticipated meeting with Saudi King Salman bin Aziz in Riyadh, where talks focused on improving ties between the two countries.
An official welcoming ceremony was organized at al-Yamama Palace, greeting the President and the accompanying delegation.
Discussions between the two men touched on the bilateral relations between the two countries highlighting ways to support and improve them at various levels, the Saudi News Agency said.
The Saudi King stressed during talks with Aoun and the accompanying delegation “keenness to improve and strengthen ties with Lebanon and ensure stability in the Arab countries including Lebanon.”
LBCI reported that Salman has also emphasized Saudi nationals will resume visits to Lebanon.
Later on Tuesday, Lebanon’s National News Agency said Aoun asked the king for “continued support for the army in the face of terrorism and the other security challenges, including the issue of the grant.”
“The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, said he will follow up on the issue with the competent ministers,” NNA added.
“Aoun also invited King Salman to visit Lebanon and the issue of Saudi flights will be addressed in a positive manner,” the agency said.
The president “considers that a new chapter of Lebanese-Saudi ties has been launched and that the relations have returned to normal,” NNA added, noting that Aoun “heard from King Salman what confirms this.”
Earlier during the day, Aoun met at his place of residence in Riyadh, Saudi Minister of Commerce and Investment Majid bin Abdullah bin Othman el-Qasabi who assured that Saudi nationals will resume trips to Lebanon shortly, the state-run National News Agency reported.
After his meeting with the Lebanese President, el-Qasabi said: “Saudi nationals are likely to resume trips to Lebanon, and I will be at the forefront,” NNA said.
Earlier, Aoun met with Saudi Culture Minister Adel Bin Zaid al-Tarifi.
Aoun arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday on his first foreign trip since taking office, starting an Arab tour that will also take him to Qatar and Egypt. But, Tuesday reports said his trip to Cairo will be postponed.
He is accompanied by a large ministerial delegation comprising the ministers Jebran Bassil (foreign affairs), Marwan Hamadeh (education), Ali Hassan Khalil (finance), Yaaqoub al-Sarraf (defense), Nouhad al-Mashnouq (interior), Pierre Raffoul (presidency affairs), Melhem Riachi (information) and Raed Khoury (economy).
In an interview with Saudi state news channel Al-Ekhbaria on Monday, Aoun said his ministers of foreign affairs, education, finance and information would meet their counterparts “to find some fields of cooperation.”
Aoun had received an official invitation to visit the kingdom from Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz.
The trip plans to improve Lebanon’s role at the Arab and regional levels, and to mend the Lebanese-Gulf ties which saw a twist in 2016.
In 2016, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab countries, urged their citizens to leave Lebanon or avoid traveling there citing “safety” concerns.
The move came after Saudi Arabia halted a $3 billion grant for the Lebanese security forces in response to “hostile” stances of Hizbullah and diplomatic positions.
