Lebanon wants “best relations” with Saudi Arabia, GCC, Aoun says Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani News

Lebanese President Michel Aoun says his country wants “the best relations” with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, amid an ongoing diplomatic rift with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Aoun said on Monday evening that he wanted to reconcile his country with Saudi Arabia, which had severed diplomatic relations with Beirut in the past month.

The crisis erupted last month after videos of an August interview were posted online, where Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi made critical statements about the Saudi-led coalition’s war against Yemeni Houthi rebels.

Kordahi, a former host of the game sessions, said the Houthis lined up in Iran are “defending themselves … against an outside attack.” Kordahi is a member of a small Christian party allied with Hezbollah, which supports the Yemeni Houthis.

Saudi Arabia has moved away from Lebanon in recent years, and has often been criticized by Hezbollah for its growing influence in politics. He calls Riyadh Hezbollah a “terrorist” organization.

Hezbollah praised Kordahi for his statements.

In response, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain recalled their envoys to Beirut and expelled the Lebanese ambassadors. Saudi Arabia also banned all Lebanese imports in a major blow to the Beirut economy, which entered the kingdom.

Bahrain and the Basque Country called on the people to leave the country, and Yemen also recalled the Beirut envoy.

Lebanese authorities have called for talks with members of Saudi Arabia.

President Aoun has dismissed Kordahi’s comments and said they do not reflect the Lebanese government’s stance.

But he clarified that he did not ask Kordahi for the statements that asked him to resign. He added that Kordahi will play for Lebanon.

“When an Arab journalist insulted me in the air, no action was taken against him,” said Aoun, whose Free Nationalist Movement party has an alliance with the Hezbollah movement.

The Lebanese president met with Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday to discuss the GCC crisis, among other things.

Qatar is also a member of the GCC, as reported he offered to mediate the talks between the two sides. However, Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the report.

They both talked about developments of mutual interest in the region and internationally, as well as ways to improve bilateral relations.

Aoun has called on Qatari to invest in Lebanon amid ongoing civil strife amid ongoing civil strife, saying his country needed a lot of investment in various areas.

Declining economy

Aoun also spoke about other issues, including research into the 2020 Beirut port blast and the role of the powerful Lebanese armed group. Hezbollah.

Talking about the investigation into the deceased Explosion in the port of Beirut, What happened on August 4, 2020, Aoun said he did not agree with Hezbollah’s stance.

The group has repeatedly asked to replace Judge Tarek, who is leading the investigation, with allegations of “bias” that have been widely rejected by rights groups and the families of the victims of the explosion.

Last month, Bitar was forced to stop work for the third time over a lawsuit filed by a former minister cited for questioning.

Aoun also said the Lebanese central bank is under criminal investigation. A Luxembourg judicial authority has opened a “criminal case” against Governor Riyadh Salameh, Aoun said is responsible for all the money lost.

The Lebanese pound has lost nearly 90 percent of its value since the end of 2019 – the main driving force that has crushed the country’s now-damaged economy.

Earlier this year, the World Bank said the economic and financial crisis in Lebanon in the nineteenth century.

In an extensive interview with the Doha network, the Lebanese president reiterated that parliamentary elections will be held as planned and that steps are being taken to organize the March 27 event.

It has been speculated that due to the ongoing political and economic crisis, as well as the controversial election law, which provides that the Lebanese parliament is proportionate to the state’s various religious and sectarian denominations, elections may be postponed.