Beirut, March 4 Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have reaffirmed in a joint statement the importance of enhancing Arab cooperation and coordinating positions on key regional and international issues, the Lebanese official National News Agency (NNA) reported Tuesday.
According to the NNA, the statement issued following Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday in the Saudi capital Riyadh also affirmed both sides' commitment to "the full implementation of the Taif Agreement, the enforcement of relevant international resolutions, the extension of state sovereignty across all Lebanese territory, and the exclusive possession of weapons by the Lebanese state."
The Taif Agreement, negotiated in Saudi Arabia in 1989 and approved later that year, ended a 15-year-long civil war in Lebanon and reasserted the Lebanese government's authority in the south.
Lebanon and Saudi Arabia stressed "the national role of the Lebanese Army and the necessity of supporting it, while calling for the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from all Lebanese lands," read the joint statement, Xinhua news agency reported.
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, in place since November 27, 2024, calls for an Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanese territory. However, Israel maintains a presence in five positions along the border despite a February 18 deadline.
Meanwhile, the NNA reported that during the meeting between Aoun and the Crown Prince, the two sides discussed ways for further cooperation and agreed to "assess obstacles hindering the resumption of Lebanese exports to Saudi Arabia and explore measures to facilitate travel for Saudi nationals to Lebanon."
Aoun also invited the Crown Prince to visit Lebanon, an offer "met with appreciation and a positive reception," according to the NNA.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor