The Lebanese government has been postponing the official reception of the new Saudi ambassador, apparently over Riyadh’s alleged involvement in the incident with the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the Kuwaiti daily Al Seyassah reported.
According to the newspaper, Lebanese President Michel Aoun has not yet scheduled a date to receive Ambassador Walid al-Yaqoub, who arrived in Lebanon nearly a month ago and since then has not been able to start his work.
Earlier, Riyadh reportedly delayed the reception of the new Lebanese ambassador to Saudi Arabia. According to the newspaper, Lebanon may also be delivering a response to that move.
On November 4, while on a visit to Saudi Arabia, Hariri announced his resignation in a video address from Riyadh.
The Lebanese government and intelligence officials concluded that Hariri was held in Saudi Arabia against his will and was forced to resign. In response, President Aoun said he would not consider Hariri’s resignation until a personal meeting. Hariri returned to Lebanon several weeks later and rescinded his resignation.
As a result, relations between both countries have become increasingly strained. Beirut considers the affair as an attempt to by Riyadh to influence the balance of power in Lebanon.
