Jordan's King Stresses to Gemayel Kingdom's 'Full Support' for Lebanon
Jordanian King Abdullah II held talks Monday in Amman with Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel, stressing the kingdom's “full support” for Lebanon amid the current turmoil.
According to a statement issued by Gemayel's press office, Kataeb's leader had received an official invitation to visit Jordan.
Talks tackled “the current developments in the regional and international arenas,” the press office said, adding that the monarch “put MP Gemayel in the picture of the critical developments that the region is going through, underscoring the depth of the historic and brotherly ties between the two countries.”
“Jordan fully supports Lebanon in its efforts to overcome challenges and preserve its national unity, sovereignty, security and stability,” Abdullah II told Gemayel, wishing a “better future” for the Lebanese people.
Gemayel for his part expressed appreciation for Jordan's stances, thanking the kingdom for “its support for the Lebanese Army” and underlining “the need to strengthen bilateral ties between the two states.”
Talks between the two men also addressed “the situation of the city of Jerusalem and means to turn it into a city that is open to all the followers of Abrahamic religions” in addition to “Amman's effective role in the dialogue of cultures and religions and the Jordanian experience regarding Syrian refugees.”
Lebanon has been gripped in a political crisis since Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced a surprise resignation earlier this month from Saudi Arabia, lambasting Iran and Hizbullah for their policies in Lebanon and the region.
The shock announcement sparked worries that Lebanon would be caught up in the spiraling tensions between Riyadh and Tehran, which back opposing political and armed groups across the region.
After resigning, Hariri spent two more weeks in Saudi Arabia amid rumors he was under de facto house arrest there, before traveling to Paris on Saturday. There, he met French President Emmanuel Macron and pledged he would be in Lebanon in time to mark its independence day on Wednesday.
