RIYADH (Archyde.com) – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Yemen announced on Thursday the return of their ambassadors to Lebanon, in a sign of thaws in relations that reached a low point last year when the kingdom and other Gulf states withdrew ambassadors.
Saudi Arabia and the wealthy Gulf states were once generous donors to Lebanon, but relations have been strained for years due to the growing influence of the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
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 Prime Minister Najib Mikati regarding ending all political, military and security activities that affect Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.
The Saudi statement, which was reported by the Saudi Press Agency, stressed “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 the week.
Mikati said in a tweet on Twitter, in which he welcomed the move, that Lebanon “is proud of its Arab affiliation and adheres to the best relations with the Gulf countries,” describing them as “it was and will remain the bond and the support.”
The rift in Lebanon’s relations with Gulf states has added to its difficulties as it grapples with a financial crisis described by the World Bank as one of the most severe recessions on record.
Later on Thursday, the Yemeni Foreign Ministry announced the return of its ambassador to Lebanon.
The ministry said in a statement published by the official news agency that this comes “in response to the Lebanese government’s announcement of its commitment to stop all aggressive activities, practices and interventions offensive to Arab countries.”
Relations reached new lows last October following a former Lebanese minister criticized the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen, a conflict widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Hezbollah supports Tehran in its regional struggle for influence with US-allied Gulf Arab states, which say the group 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.
