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LEBANON-GULF RELATIONS

Saudi ambassador pays tribute to ‘Mikati’s efforts,’ invites him to iftar

Saudi ambassador pays tribute to ‘Mikati’s efforts,’ invites him to iftar

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari. (Credit: NNA)

BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, contacted Prime Minister Najib Mikati by phone Sunday to invite him to an iftar he is organizing at the embassy’s headquarters, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Here’s what we know:

    • According to the NNA, Bukhari paid tribute to Mikati’s “efforts to protect Lebanon in these difficult circumstances, and to restore Lebanese-Saudi relations.”

    • The Saudi ambassador returned to Beirut on Friday, a few hours after the ambassador of Kuwait, Abdel Aal al-Kinai also arrived back in the Lebanese capital.

    • The day before, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the return of its ambassador to Beirut “in response to calls from moderate political forces in Lebanon, and the commitment of the Lebanese government to take the necessary steps to stop all activities ... undermining the kingdom.”

    • This statement came on the heels of the announcement of a preliminary agreement between the International Monetary Fund and Lebanon, which has been mired in an economic crisis since 2019. Mikati described the agreement as “opening the way to donors.”

BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, contacted Prime Minister Najib Mikati by phone Sunday to invite him to an iftar he is organizing at the embassy’s headquarters, the state-run National News Agency reported. Here’s what we know:    • According to the NNA, Bukhari paid tribute to Mikati’s “efforts to protect Lebanon in these difficult...