French Presidency Says Hariri to Go to France 'in Coming Days'
Prime Minister Saad Hariri will come to France "in the coming days," a source at the French presidency told the AFP news agency on Wednesday.
The development came after the presidency said in a statement that President Emmanuel Macron had "invited" Hariri and his family to France.
The statement said the invitation came after Macron spoke by telephone to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Hariri, who announced his resignation in a surprise statement from the kingdom on November 4.
Macron later said he is not offering Hariri political "exile," but wants him to come to France for a while to help calm tensions in Lebanon and dispel fears that he is a Saudi prisoner.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday during a climate meeting in Germany, Macron said that in discussions with Hariri and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, "we agreed that I would invite (Hariri) to France for several days with his family."
He said "we need to have leaders who are free to express themselves," adding that "it's important that (Hariri) is able to advance the political process in his country in the coming days and weeks."
A French diplomatic official said it is up to Hariri to announce his plans publicly but that he is believed to have accepted Macron's invitation, and that he would probably come directly from Riyadh.
Lebanon's LBCI television said Hariri will "likely" head to France on Thursday.
"Macron urged him to return to Lebanon after visiting Paris and he will meet with him the moment he arrives in the French capital," LBCI added.
It later reported, quoting sources informed on the negotiations, that Hariri was “invited to Paris in his capacity as prime minister.”
“He will then return to Beirut to inform the president of his stance on the issue of the premiership,” LBCI added.
The development came as French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived in Riyadh where he is due to meet Prince Mohammed later Wednesday and also hold talks with Hariri on Thursday.
Speculation has swirled around Hariri's prolonged stay in Saudi Arabia since the announcement of his resignation.
There were rumors that Hariri, who is a Saudi citizen and grew up in the kingdom, had been detained along with dozens of Saudis in what Riyadh says is an anti-corruption campaign.
Hariri moved to dispel rumors of his detention, saying on Twitter that he had freedom of movement.
He said he was planning to return home to his "beloved" Lebanon.
President Michel Aoun has yet to officially accept Hariri's resignation, and has said he will not do so before meeting the premier in person -- in Lebanon.
Source: Agence France Presse, Naharnet, Associated Press
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