According to reports on the visit of the French presidential envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, to the Saudi capital Riyadh, and his meetings with the Minister Counselor at the Royal Court in charge of the Lebanese dossier, Nizar al-Aloula, and the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, Saudi Arabia’s position on the presidential crisis in Lebanon remains unchanged: it does not support a specific candidate, nor does it intervene in the name-selection process.
Saudi Arabia believes that it is up to the Lebanese to assume responsibility for this choice. Its preference would be for a candidate who corresponds to the criteria determined by the Quintet composed of the United States, Saudi Arabia, France, Qatar and Egypt.
Nor does Saudi Arabia give priority to the election or to pre-election dialogue.
