Lebanon's FM says only proof Hariri is free would be for him to return

Record ID: 937579

  • Title: Lebanon's FM says only proof Hariri is free would be for him to return
  • Date: 14th November 2017
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 14, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF RESIDENCE OF LEBANESE AMBASSADOR IN FRANCE LEBANESE FLAG LEBANESE FOREIGN MINISTER, GEBRAN BASSIL, TALKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) LEBANESE FOREIGN MINISTER, GEBRAN BASSIL, SAYING: "I can't be sure of when he will return. The only thing that proves he is free to come back would be for him to return." JOURN
  • Embargoed: 28th November 2017 17:55
  • Keywords: France Lebanon Saad al-Hariri Emannuel Macron Gebran Bassil Saudi Arabia
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • City: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA00177G71ON
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil on Tuesday (November 14) said Saad al Hariri's freedom would only be proven once he returned from Saudi Arabia, and that any Saudi sanctions would destabilise the wider region.
    Hariri announced his shock resignation as Lebanon's prime minister in a broadcast from Riyadh 10 days ago.
    He then warned on Sunday in his first interview since resigning of possible Gulf Arab sanctions against Lebanon and of the risk to the livelihoods of the 300,000-400,000 Lebanese in the Gulf.
    Hariri's abrupt resignation on November 4 sent Lebanon spinning into political crisis and back onto the front line of the Middle East power struggle between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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