Lebanese President Michel Aoun has renewed his keenness to establish the best relations with Saudi Arabia, at a time when demands for the resignation of Information Minister George Kordahi, who said he is still consulting to make his decision, escalated, and international efforts intensified for calm amid the US-French adherence to the survival of Najib Mikati's government.

Aoun stressed - in a statement - the consolidation of relations with Saudi Arabia through the signing of bilateral agreements between the two countries, so that the positions and opinions issued by some do not affect them and cause a crisis between them, especially since such a thing has been repeated more than once.

The Lebanese president considered it necessary that communication between the two countries be at the level that Lebanon aspires to in its relations with the Kingdom and other Gulf states.

For his part, Lebanese Minister of Education Abbas Al-Halabi said - in a previous interview with Al-Jazeera - that the US administration is in contact with the Saudi side, and that it is committed to Najib Mikati's government.

The Lebanese Minister of Education added - in his interview with Al Jazeera - that Prime Minister Najib Mikati had contacts with the American side to ease tension with Saudi Arabia.


The Lebanese Foreign Minister, Abdullah Bou Habib, said that the US administration had requested that Najib Mikati's government not resign.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Mubasher, the minister explained that the French government also expressed its adherence to Mikati's government, and other countries took a similar position.

Bou Habib stressed that his country will not sever its relations with the countries that have withdrawn their ambassadors, adding that the government will not accept that Lebanon works against Saudi Arabia's interest, and indicated that all problems are solved through dialogue.

Hezbollah's position

On the other hand, the head of the Hezbollah bloc in the Lebanese parliament, Muhammad Raad, said that "one of the countries in the region avenges its defeat from Lebanon, after it supported a people who were assaulted for 8 years," in reference to Yemen.

He believed that some are almost creating a government crisis that does not end with the resignation of a minister, but rather with the cracking of the entire government situation, and that the intention may be to sabotage stability.

Raad added that whoever wants to fabricate the current crisis in Lebanon wants to disrupt the upcoming legislative elections, expressing his regret over the involvement of some Lebanese politicians in this direction.

In a previous statement, Hezbollah denounced what it described as the "unjust" campaign led by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Gulf Cooperation Council against Minister of Information George Qardahi, against the background of his positions on the Yemen war.

The party announced its rejection of any call to dismiss Qardahi or push him to resign, considering these calls a blatant attack on Lebanon, according to the statement.

"Refused to resign"

Meanwhile, the head of the Marada movement, Suleiman Franjieh, announced that Qardahi had proposed to him to resign from the government, but he refused, knowing that previous prime ministers also asked Qardahi to resign from the government.

Franjieh added - after meeting with the Maronite Patriarch - that he supports any decision taken by Qardahi.

In turn, Bou Habib told Al Jazeera Mubasher that Minister Qardahi said that Lebanon's interest preceded his own, but he is consulting to make his last decision.

He added that he had not formally asked the Minister of Information to submit his resignation, and pointed out that Mikati had repeatedly stressed that the government would not resign.

Lebanese Foreign Minister: Qardahi was not officially asked to submit his resignation, and we do not accept action against Saudi Arabia's interest


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- Al Jazeera Mubasher (@ajmubasher) October 31, 2021

crisis cell

Meanwhile, the crisis cell formed by the Lebanese government held a meeting headed by Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib to discuss the repercussions of Saudi Arabia's decision to recall its ambassador from Beirut, and its request to leave the Lebanese ambassador to Riyadh.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that the crisis between his country and Lebanon has its origins in what he called the "Lebanese political formation" that strengthens Hezbollah's hegemony and causes continued instability in the region.

In an interview with Reuters, the Saudi foreign minister added that the issue is much broader than the current situation.

Ben Farhan stressed that it is important for the government in Lebanon or the Lebanese institution to formulate a path that liberates the country from the current political structure, which he said strengthens Hezbollah's hegemony.

Wide Gulf condemnation

In the same context, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned its ambassador to Lebanon and asked the Chargé d'Affairs of the Lebanese Embassy in Kuwait to leave the country within 48 hours.

It said in a statement, that the decision was taken because of what it called Lebanon's persistence in negative and rejected statements against Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

The Foreign Ministry also expressed its regret over the state of affairs, stressing at the same time its keenness not to harm the Lebanese residing in Kuwait.

The UAE also decided to withdraw its diplomats from Beirut, and advised its citizens not to travel to Lebanon.

The Emirates News Agency stated that the decision came in solidarity with Saudi Arabia, in light of what it described as the unacceptable approach by some Lebanese officials towards the Kingdom.

The Media Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar expresses its strong astonishment and denunciation of the recent statements issued by the Minister of Information of the Lebanese Republic, considering this position of the new Lebanese Minister of Information as irresponsible towards his country and towards Arab issues alike.

# Qena https://t.co/OvjUKjpSTq pic.twitter.com/lr8OGDoDkt

— Qatar News Agency (@QatarNewsAgency) October 30, 2021

In Qatar, the Information Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its strong surprise and denunciation of Qardahi's statements.

In a statement, the office described this position of the new Lebanese Minister of Information as irresponsible towards his country and towards Arab issues alike.

The office considered that the minister should not have plunged Lebanon into external crises.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry called on the Lebanese government to urgently and decisively take the necessary measures to calm the situation and quickly heal the rift between the brothers.

For its part, the Sultanate of Oman expressed its deep regret over the worsening relations between a number of Arab countries and the Lebanese Republic, calling on everyone to exercise restraint and work to avoid escalation.

A statement issued by the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for addressing differences through dialogue and understanding, in a way that preserves the highest interests of countries and their people.