Saudi envoys visit to Lebanon next week a show of solidarity

(The Daily Star)- A Saudi delegation is expected to arrive in Beirut at the beginning of next week to meet with senior officials after the recent political breakthrough in the country, local media reported Saturday.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz will dispatch Emir of Mecca Prince Khaled al-Faisal and Saudi Arabia’s Arab Gulf Affairs Minister Thamer al-Sabhan to hold talks with prominent Lebanese officials, An-Nahar newspaper said.

The two envoys, who will arrive Monday afternoon, will reportedly meet with President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and caretaker PM Tammam Salam.

The visit aims to reaffirm Riyadh's solidarity with Lebanon, the newspaper added.

The delegation will also present Aoun with an invitation to visit Saudi Arabia, according to As-Safir newspaper.

The daily said that Riyadh was seeking to remove the political hurdles in the way of a $3 billion Saudi grant to Lebanese security forces that would pay for France to train and equip the Lebanese Army.

In late 2014, Saudi Arabia had signed an initial agreement with France over the arms, while senior Lebanese Army officers and officials from ODAS, the French agency in charge of defense sales, signed a protocol agreement for the Saudi-funded arms deal.

Lebanon received one batch of the French weapons funded by the $3 billion Saudi grant in April of last year, which included armored vehicles, helicopters, truck-mounted cannons and Milan anti-tank missiles.

France was expected to deliver the arms over four years as part of the program. The contract also promised seven years of training for the 70,000-strong Lebanese Army and 10 years of equipment maintenance.

But last February, Riyadh halted $4 billion in grants for the Lebanese Army and police – including the $3 billion agreement with France – and warned their citizens against traveling to the country in protest of what they called “hostile” stances against the kingdom linked to Hezbollah and Iran at Arab League and Islamic meetings.

The GCC states and the Arab League earlier this year labeled Hezbollah a “terrorist organization” in a statement that Lebanon refused to sign, and accused the party of creating chaos and discord in member states.

Riyadh is now considering resuming the military aid, but that is contingent on the direction of Lebanon’s new cabinet.

"Saudi Arabia's resumption of the $3 billion army grant depends on the identity of the upcoming Interior and Defense ministers in the new Cabinet and the name of the Army chief," the newspaper quoted a diplomatic source as saying.

Sabhan had lastly visited Lebanon in Oct. ahead of the election of Aoun as the country's 13th president, signaling a tacit Saudi consent for his election.