Arab News

RIYADH: Sheikh Al-Khatib, head of Lebanon’s Higher Islamic Shiite Council, has praised the role Saudi Arabia is playing in Lebanon and its “wisdom in bridging divides between the Lebanese parties to achieve stability in the country.”

In a meeting with Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari, Al-Khatib said the people needed to regain trust in the state, “which should address their daily, social and security concerns above all else.”

Al-Khatib added: “Shiites in Lebanon have never been a factor in creating division; rather, they have worked toward achieving unity.” He hailed Saudi Arabia’s role in achieving stability in Lebanon, noting that it had done so previously, such as through the Taif Accord.

Bukhari said Saudi Arabia was not “at odds with Shiites in Lebanon or elsewhere.”

He added that he trusted the Lebanese leadership in guiding the country toward stability.

“We always count on the leadership to do so. No Lebanese component should be excluded; this is at the core of the Taif Accord,” Bukhari said.