Saudi Arabia stands with Lebanon, says bin Farhan at the UN

BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, said from the United Nations podium on Saturday that "Saudi Arabia stands with Lebanon" and welcomes "the efforts of the Lebanese state to implement the Taif Agreement," in a speech delivered during the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly.

"Saudi Arabia stands with Lebanon, supports everything that strengthens its security and stability, and welcomes the efforts of the Lebanese state to implement the Taif Agreement (1989), affirm its sovereignty, and place weapons in the hands of the state and its legitimate institutions," the Saudi minister said, emphasizing the "necessity" of the withdrawal of the Israeli army from all Lebanese territories it continues to occupy.

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In the second part of the Taif Agreement, which has four sections and is devoted to "the sovereignty of the Lebanese state over all its territory," Article A calls for "the proclamation of the dissolution of all militias, Lebanese or otherwise, and the handing over of their weapons to the Lebanese state." Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who is close to the Saudi regime, said in an interview with L'Orient-Le Jour this September that he sees himself as "the heir" to this agreement.

After years of disinterest from Riyadh, notably due to Hezbollah's grip on local Lebanese politics, the election of Joseph Aoun as president and the appointment of Nawaf Salam as prime minister at the start of the year have warmed Lebanon's diplomatic relations with Arab countries.

Riyadh does not hide its support for the current government, both for its stance on the monopoly of arms and the planned disarmament of Hezbollah, as well as for its fight, in coordination with the new Syrian government, also close to the kingdom, against the smuggling of illicit products, which had long been an essential source of revenue for the party.

'Act seriously to end the aggression in Gaza

With regards to the Palestinian cause, bin Farhan said that "the U.N. must become more effective in limiting conflicts and crises," insisting that "we must all act seriously to end the aggression and ensure the delivery of aid to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip." According to him, "the inaction of the international community in the face of this aggression contributes to undermining security and stability at the regional and global levels."

The Saudi minister also called on all countries to "recognize the State of Palestine and support the path toward a two-state solution," condemning "ongoing Israeli aggression in the region, notably the flagrant aggression against the State of Qatar," on September 9, which targeted a Hamas delegation in Doha.

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On July 24, Saudi Arabia welcomed the "historic" decision by French President Emmanuel Macron to recognize a Palestinian state and called on other countries to take "similarly positive steps." "The Kingdom welcomes this historic decision, which reaffirms the international community's consensus on the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state based on the 1967 borders," bin Farhan wrote in a statement.

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Regarding Iran's nuclear program, bin Farhan stated that "the diplomatic path is the only way to resolve the nuclear program crisis." He also welcomed "the measures taken by Syria to consolidate security and stability in the country."