Suleiman Says his Saudi Visit Beneficial for Lebanon
President Michel Suleiman said his scheduled visit to Saudi Arabia next week would be beneficial for Lebanon and would consolidate relations between the two countries.
In remarks to al-Liwaa daily published on Friday, Suleiman stressed “the importance of having contacts with the Saudi leadership at this stage.”
“Lebanon has a huge benefit from the visit to the kingdom,” he said.
Suleiman added that a meeting he will hold with Saudi King Abdullah on Monday would consolidate ties between the two nations.
Presidential sources told al-Liwaa that Lebanon looks forward for a positive Saudi role to back Lebanon's political and economic stability.
Saudi Arabia is keen on the stability of Lebanon, rejects interfering in the country's internal affairs and provides absolute support to all what the Lebanese agree on, the sources said.
They said Suleiman will explain to King Abdullah the nature of the policy that the Lebanese government has adopted to distance Lebanon from the region's conflicts.
The policy was culminated by the adoption of the Baabda Declaration by the country's rival parties last year.
The sources expected the Syrian refugee crisis to be on the agenda of the talks, saying Suleiman would ask for Saudi assistance to confront the burden of the displaced.
Al-Liwaa said that a small official delegation will accompany Suleiman on his one-day official visit.
While the daily said that the president will only meet with King Abdullah, An Nahar newspaper reported that Suleiman will also hold talks with Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz and Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal.
An Nahar did not rule out a meeting between Suleiman and al-Mustaqbal movement leader former PM Saad Hariri, who is currently in Riyadh.
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