According to Reuters’ reports, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, sees his country as the problem solver of Lebanese “political crisis”, whereby referring to last year’s situation. In a public statement, President Macron also informed that the “Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri” was being held for multiple weeks by Saudi Arabia.
The above mentioned crisis had submerged Lebanon in the month of November 2017 with the resignation of Hariri from the Prime Minister’s role when he was in Saudi Arabia for fearing assassination. Hariri also criticised Iran, the “regional rival” of Saudi Arabia, as well as “its Lebanese ally Hezbollah”.
The Saudi was charged with the accusation coming from the officials of Lebanon for holding Hariri as a hostage. With the help of international interventions, wherein Macron was a part, Hariri returned to his country and finally withdrew his resignation as a prime minister.
With a visible irritation, when faced with a question of his “foreign policy” achievements over the period of the last year, Macron replied to the broadcaster BFM TV: “If France wasn’t listened to then there probably would be a war in Lebanon at this moment as we speak. It’s French diplomacy, it’s our action”.
As per Macron, the “unscheduled” halt at Riyadh with the purpose of convincing, Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi, and the invitation to Hariri to visit France, did the trick and acted as catalysts to overcome the crisis.
However, Hariri denied that he was never kept “held against his will”.
In April 2018, a Parisian dinner was attended by Prince Mohammed, Macron and Hariri, following a conference with aimed at extending united support in an “investment programme” to fuel up the economy of Lebanon.
After the crisis that took place last November, Hariri went to Riyadh for the first time in this year’s February for forming a “new coalition after”, as the parliamentary election of May 6 made the rival’s as well as its “political allies” stronger.
