Solana Voices Support to Saudi Arabia’s Efforts

Javier Solana voiced support to Saudi Arabia’s efforts in solving the Lebanon crisis.

We support all efforts that the Saudi Arabian government is investing into this problem, Solana said in Rijad ahead of a key meeting in Damask. He held a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal who said that he hoped that the conflicting sides would not feel that they were conducting negotiations under coercion. Apart from political problems in Lebanon, Solana visited the region to talk about the issue of the UN court that is to try suspects in the murder of the former prime minister Rafik Hariri. 

After a visit to Beirut as part of a mission that ends in Damask, Solana announced that after his visit to Syria, he would continue talks with Saudi leaders. I will inform His Majesty, King Abdullah, said Solana, alluding to the outcome of talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

We have carefully considered the situation in Lebanon, a country that we have grown fond of. We hope that the situation will normalise there and that the dialogue between various sides will be useful and that none of the sides will think that they are conducting negotiations under coercion, said Al-Faisal.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading producer of oil, has a great role in the attempt to solve the crisis between the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora who supports the West and the opposition led by the Shiite movement Hezbollah with the support of Damask and Teheran.