Lebanese President and PM agree on 'roadmap' to solve row with Saudis
November 4, 2021, 8:09 am

Lebanese President and PM agree on 'roadmap' to solve row with Saudis

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati

The National Post reported according to Reuters, Lebanese presidency post on Twitter that Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Thursday he had agreed with President Michel Aoun on a “roadmap” to solve a diplomatic row with Saudi Arabia.

The report said that he did not give details.

Lebanon is facing its worst rift yet with oil-rich Gulf Arab states, spurred by comments about the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen made by Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi before his official appointment.

In an interview he said was recorded on Aug. 5, Kordahi said Yemen was subjected to aggression and that its Iran-aligned Houthis were defending themselves.

Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi

Saudi Arabia and some Gulf Arab allies reacted angrily to the remarks.

Riyadh expelled Lebanon’s ambassador, banned all imports from Lebanon and recalled its envoy for consultations.

Lebanon is suffering a financial and economic meltdown which the World Bank has labeled as one of the deepest depressions of modern history.

Source: nationalpost

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.