Arab League Chief Says Concerned about Persian Gulf States’ Tension with Lebanon
In a statement on Saturday, Ahmed Aboul Gheit appealed to Persian Gulf Arab countries “to reflect on the measures proposed to be taken … in order to avoid further negative effects on the collapsing Lebanese economy”.
He said he was confident Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Mikati would act quickly to ease the crisis.
It came hours after Saudi Arabia banned all imports from Lebanon and gave the Lebanese ambassador 48 hours to leave the country. Saudi Arabia also banned its citizens from travelling to Lebanon.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait also have summoned their envoys to their countries for consultations.
The Arab countries' decision was taken days after an interview with Lebanon’s Information Minister George Kordahi was aired by an online show affiliated with Qatar's al-Jazeera television network.
Kordahi, in comments made on August 5, called the Saudi-led Yemen war futile, and said the impoverished Arab country is subjected to an aggression.
The Lebanese minister added that Yemeni army forces and their allied fighters from Popular Committees are defending themselves.
Source: Press TV
