According to the Saudi media and the administration, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun made his first international travel since assuming office earlier this year on Monday. After over two years in power amid a debilitating political and economic crisis, Aoun, a former army general believed to have Washington and Riyadh’s support, was elected on January 9.
The demise of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon following a catastrophic conflict with Israel paved the way for his candidacy. Later on Monday, Aoun said he would meet with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
According to a presidential statement, he expressed his hope that their discussions would “pave the way for a later visit in which agreements strengthening cooperation between the two brotherly countries will be signed.”
For years, relations between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon had been tense. Citing Hezbollah’s policy influence, Riyadh suspended $3 billion in military aid to the Lebanese army in 2016. On Friday, Aoun stated that he will “seek, if possible, to reactivate military aid” in an interview with the Saudi publication Asharq Al-Awsat. The president went on to say that Saudi Arabia’s “historic links” to Lebanon and its position as a regional and international player are the reasons he picked it as his first stop.
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