The Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, called on Saturday President Joseph Aoun to congratulate him on becoming president and invited him to visit Saudi Arabia.
Along with Qatar, Egypt, France and the United States, Saudi Arabia played an important role in resolving the presidential deadlock. Lebanon had been without a president since October 31, 2022.
Acknowledging the Kingdom’s historic role in supporting and demonstrating solidarity with Lebanon, Aoun said that Saudi Arabia would be his first stop on official journeys overseas. A news release from the Presidency of the Republic stated that this visit will reinforce “Lebanon’s ties with Arab countries, which form the basis of the country's relations with its regional environment.”
Furthermore, the president met with the Mufti of the Republic, Abdellatif Derian, who had come to Baabda at the head of a delegation of muftis to congratulate him for his election.
Sheikh Derian urged MPs to “fulfill their constitutional duty by designating the most suitable person to form the new government” in a brief remark after the meeting. The parliamentary consultations are scheduled for Monday in Baabda.
The Mufti emphasized that while the names suggested to head the government were “good,” the MPs will still have the last say in the matter. He stressed that he expects them to select “a person capable of leading the nation in this new phase.”
Aoun stated in the interview that he hoped a government would be established as quickly as possible “to get things back on track and start building bridges of trust with the outside world, which is ready to support us...”
“We have a great opportunity—either we seize it or we lose it. To take advantage of it, we must be united, hand in hand,” stressed the new president.
As he continued, he further explained, “I only came here to build a country, which is why there is no room for building politics in my vision. All people that share the same identity need to be treated and served with equal rights.’’
“We have human capacities, resources and skills, which are a lasting asset, more precious than natural resources,” he said in this context.
“We require a genuine desire to serve Lebanon’s interests rather than our own,” he added.
Aoun concluded, “No individual is better than another, and no denomination is more important than another. The right to difference is sacred, but the right to conflict is not permitted.”
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