On Thursday, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Yemen announced the return of their ambassadors to Lebanon, in an indication of the easing of tension and the improvement of relations, which reached their lowest level last year, when the Kingdom and other Gulf states withdrew ambassadors.
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states were among the “generous” donors to Lebanon, but relations have been strained for years due to the growing influence of Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to Archyde.com.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said that its ambassador returned “in response to the calls and appeals of the moderate national political forces in Lebanon,” and following statements by the Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, regarding ending all political, military and security activities that affect Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.
The Saudi statement, carried by the Saudi Press Agency, stressed:wasOn “the importance of the return of the Republic of Lebanon to its Arab depth.”
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a similar statement. Mikati’s office said that the Kuwaiti ambassador will return before the end of this week.
Welcome to the move, Mikati said in a post on Twitter, that Lebanon “is proud of its Arab affiliation and adheres to the best relations with the Gulf states,” describing them as “and will remain the bond and the support.”
We appreciate the decision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to return its ambassador to Lebanon, and we affirm that Lebanon is proud of its Arab affiliation and adheres to the best relations with the Gulf states, which were and will remain the support and support.
– Najib Mikati (@Najib_Mikati) April 7, 2022
The rift in Lebanon’s relations with the Gulf states has added to the difficulties it is facing, as it grapples with a financial crisis described by the World Bank as one of the most severe recessions ever recorded.
Later on Thursday, the Yemeni Foreign Ministry announced the return of its ambassador to Lebanon.
In a statement published by the agency, the ministry said:ShebaThis comes “in response to the Lebanese government’s announcement of its commitment to stop all aggressive activities, practices and interventions offensive to Arab countries.”
The ministry expressed its “aspiration to strengthen relations with the Lebanese Republic, in line with the historical relations that unite the two brotherly countries and peoples, reiterating Yemen’s position in support of everything that would preserve the security and stability of the Lebanese Republic.”
Relations hit low levels last October, following former Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi criticized the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen, a conflict widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, according to Archyde.com.
Hezbollah supports Tehran in its regional struggle for influence with the Gulf Arab states allied with the United States, which says the party is helping Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
Hezbollah has an armed wing that is stronger than the Lebanese army and supports pro-Iranian allies in the region, including in Syria. The group and its allies also exercise significant influence over the politics of the Lebanese state, according to Archyde.com.
