Lebanon's PM Hariri in France, may be in Beirut next week
18/11/2017 19:00
Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri arrived in France on Saturday from Saudi Arabia and may be back in Beirut next week, seeking to dispel fears that he had been held against his will and forced to resign by Saudi authorities.
Hariri called Lebanese President Michel Aoun after his arrival in Paris and said he will take part in Independence Day celebrations in Beirut on Wednesday, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.
The ceremony is usually headed by the president, prime minister and parliament speaker. It's the clearest indication yet that Hariri is returning soon to Lebanon, still reeling from his strange and surprising resignation announcement Nov. 4 from Saudi Arabia.
Hariri was scheduled to meet at midday Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who is trying to mediate in the region to avert a proxy conflict in Lebanon between Iranian-backed and Saudi-backed camps.
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