RIYADH — Almost two months after winning the presidency, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun made his first official foreign trip to Riyadh on Monday afternoon. Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman extended the invitation for the visit. Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, the Deputy Emir of Riyadh, welcomed Aoun and his delegation upon their arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
Prince Yazid Al-Farhan, advisor to the minister of foreign affairs for Lebanese affairs, Riyadh Mayor Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari, Lebanese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Dr. Fawzi Kabbara, and Minister of Commerce Dr. Majed Al-Qasabi (Accompanying Minister) were also present at the reception. The foreign minister, Youssef Rajji, is with the president of Lebanon.
Shortly after arriving in Riyadh, Aoun declared that he was eagerly anticipating the nighttime discussions he would have with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “The discussions will set the stage for a follow-up visit when agreements to strengthen bilateral cooperation could be signed.
He added that the trip to Saudi Arabia will also serve as a chance to thank the Kingdom for welcoming Lebanese who arrived in this country many years ago and continue to do so, as well as for their contributions to its urban and economic development. “The visit is an opportunity to emphasize the depth of Lebanese-Saudi relations and is also an occasion to express Lebanon’s appreciation for the role played by the Kingdom in supporting Lebanon’s stability, safety, and regularity of the work of its constitutional institutions,” it said.
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