Beirut: Lebanon’s president said on Thursday he hoped the crisis surrounding Sa’ad Hariri’s resignation as prime minister was near its end after Hariri said he would travel to France from Saudi Arabia where he has been since stepping down.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun said earlier this week that Hariri, who announced his resignation while in Saudi Arabia, was being held hostage by Riyadh—a claim vehemently denid by Hariri himself and Saudi authorities.
The crisis has embroiled Lebanon in the Middle East’s bitter rivalry that pits Saudi Arabia and its allies against a bloc led by Iran that includes the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group.
“We hope the crisis is over and the door of solution is opened by PM Hariri’s acceptance of the invitation to visit France,” Aoun said in a tweet on Thursday.
A source close to Hariri said he was expected to leave Riyadh with his family for Paris in the next 48 hours, before travelling on to Beirut. A French diplomatic source said his arrival time in Paris was not yet known.
Saudi Arabia last week accused Lebanon of declaring war on it, citing Hezbollah’s destabilising activities in other Arab countries. The group has fought alongside Iran in Syria against Saudi-backed rebels.
Riyadh also accuses it of training Al Houthi militants in Yemen to fight a Saudi-led coalition who intervened in the war to restore the legimate and internationally-recognised government of Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi before an Al Houthi coup pushed him out in 2014.
Hariri has long been allied to Saudi Arabia.
He travelled there on Nov. 3 and suddenly resigned the following day. He has since left Riyadh only for an hours-long visit to Saudi Arabia’s Gulf ally the UAE on Nov. 7.
In an interview on Sunday, his first public comments since resigning, Hariri warned of possible Saudi action against Lebanon, including the risk of Arab sanctions and threats to the livelihood of Lebanese workers in the Gulf.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Jibran Bassil had toured European capitals to find diplomatic help for finding a way out of the crisis.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman on Wednesday and will meet Hariri on Thursday.
He said France was working to normalise the situation in Lebanon.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir said at a news conference with Le Drian that Hezbollah was destabilising the region and must be disarmed.
France is closely allied to both Saudi Arabia and to Lebanon, which it controlled between the world wars last century.
Hariri has a home in Paris and lived there for years.
