Lebanese president heads to Saudi for first trip abroad

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was travelling to Saudi Arabia on Monday for his first trip abroad since taking office earlier this year, the presidency said.

Aoun, a former army chief thought to be backed by Riyadh and Washington, was elected on January 9, ending a more than two-year power vacuum amid a crippling political and economic crisis.

His election was made possible by the weakening of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah during a devastating war with Israel.

“Joseph Aoun left Rafic Hariri International Airport for Riyadh,” accompanied by Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, the presidency said in a statement.

Ties between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have been strained for years. In 2016, Riyadh halted $3 billion in military aid to the Lebanese army, citing Hezbollah’s influence on policies.

Lebanon’s new president to make first official visit to Saudi Arabia

“During my visit, I will seek, if possible, to reactivate military aid,” Aoun told Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat in an interview on Friday.

The president said he chose Saudi Arabia as his first destination because of its “historic links” with Lebanon and its role as a regional and global player.

“I hope and expect that Saudi Arabia will help us reset relations in the interest of both countries and overcome recent obstacles,” he said.

He voiced hopes of “building normal economic ties”, saying Lebanon could align with “Vision 2030” – Riyadh’s initiative to diversify its economy beyond oil.

“This would allow the Saudis to return to their second home, Lebanon, while Lebanese look forward to reconnecting with Saudi Arabia,” he said.

Aoun pledged upon taking office to usher in a new era where the Lebanese state would have a “monopoly on weapons”.

Hezbollah, the only faction to retain its weapons after Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, has remained a dominant force in the country.

Aoun also promised a “policy of positive neutrality” and “the best possible relations with brotherly Arab countries”.

Aoun has also received an invitation from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to participate in an urgent Arab summit on Gaza in Cairo on Tuesday, according to the Lebanese presidency.