Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri in his office in Ain al-Tineh, on March 5, 2024. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — Saudi envoy Yazid bin Farhan, currently on a state visit to Beirut, went Tuesday afternoon to Ain al-Tineh to meet with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Farhan arrived in Beirut on Monday at the head of a Saudi delegation and met yesterday with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. This trip comes just days after Saudi Arabia announced last Thursday that trade relations between Riyadh and Beirut would soon resume — a move that sparked strong enthusiasm among Lebanese officials.
On Monday, the Saudi envoy discussed with Salam steps toward resuming Lebanese exports to Saudi Arabia, according to the Grand Serail.
Salam stressed “the need for the relevant authorities to act quickly to remove all obstacles hampering this vital sector for the Lebanese economy.”
He also “reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment not to serve as a platform for destabilizing the security of Arab countries, nor as a transit point for drug trafficking or any other banned merchandise.”
Lebanon had expected the Saudi envoy earlier, but he had “delayed” his visit to Beirut, according to information from L’Orient-Le Jour published Nov. 1.
This was understood as a sign of Saudi dissatisfaction with what was described as Lebanese authorities’ “laxity” in taking concrete steps to implement the decision to reserve a monopoly on arms for the state, according to an article in the Saudi daily Okaz.
Lebanon has struggled to implement government decisions from Aug. 5 and 7 aimed at disarming militias, particularly Hezbollah, which continues to reject this option.
Meanwhile, the risk of Israeli military escalation looms over Lebanon, as Israel continues to bomb the south and the Bekaa in violation of the cease-fire that took effect on Nov. 27, 2024.
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