Beirut calls on Riyadh to reverse its decision to ban Lebanese fruits and vegetables

Lebanese Head of State Michel Aoun chaired a meeting aimed at strengthening measures to combat drug trafficking in ports and airports (illustrative image).

REUTERS - DALATI NOHRA

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2 min

Lebanon urged Saudi Arabia on Monday April 26 to reverse its decision to ban imports of Lebanese fruits and vegetables, the day after the suspension came into effect for alleged drug trafficking.

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With our correspondent in Beirut,

Paul Khalifeh

Lebanese Head of State Michel Aoun chaired a meeting aimed at strengthening measures to combat drug trafficking in ports and airports.

The aim is to meet Riyadh's demands, after the discovery in Jeddah of more than 5 million amphetamine tablets in a shipment of grenades from Lebanon.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab, several members of the government and representatives of the security and customs services attended the meeting.

Lebanese leaders called on the security forces to redouble their efforts to prevent cross-border smuggling, especially to Gulf countries.

In a statement released after the meeting, participants hoped that Saudi Arabia will reconsider the decision to ban the entry of Lebanese agricultural products.

A hard blow for Lebanon

But this does not seem sufficient in the eyes of the Saudi authorities.

A few hours after the meeting, the Saudi Arabian ambassador in Beirut Walid Boukhari declared that "

the security of the kingdom is a red line which it is forbidden to transgress

".

Saudi Arabia is the first foreign customer of Lebanese agricultural products with more than 22% of exports.

The kingdom's decision is a blow to Lebanon's efforts to sell its production to mitigate the effects of the

economic crisis

that has hit the country for more than one and a half.

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  • Lebanon

  • Economy

  • Saudi Arabia

  • Michel Aoun

  • Hassan Diab