RIYADH: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday for his first trip abroad since taking office earlier this year, the presidency and Saudi media 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.
Aoun said he would meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "I look forward with great hope to the talks I will hold with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this evening," the Lebanese presidency posted on X, as Saudi TV station Al Arabiya also reported his arrival. He said he hoped their talks would "pave the way for a later visit in which agreements strengthening cooperation between the two brotherly countries will be signed", a statement from the presidency said.
Aoun told Saudi newspaper Asharq Al Awsat on Friday that he would "seek, if possible, to reactivate military aid". The president added that he chose Saudi Arabia as his first destination because of its "historic links" with Lebanon and its role as a regional and global player. — AFP
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