RIYADH - The government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed its regret over the state of relations with the Lebanese Republic due to the Lebanese authorities’ ignoring of the facts and their continued failure to take corrective measures to ensure the observance of the relations that the Kingdom has long been keen on.

And the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that it would summon the ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Lebanese Republic for consultations, and the departure of the Lebanese ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within the next 48 hours.

This came in a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs as follows:

Further to the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Rabi’ al-Awwal 21, 1443 AH, corresponding to October 27, 2021 AD, regarding the insulting statements to the Kingdom issued by the Lebanese Minister of Information, as these statements represent a new cycle of reprehensible and rejected positions issued by Lebanese officials towards the Kingdom and its policies, as well as what the statements contain. Falsehoods, distortion of facts and falsification.

This also comes in addition to Lebanon’s failure to take the measures demanded by the Kingdom to stop the export of the scourge of drugs from Lebanon through Lebanese exports to the Kingdom, especially in light of the terrorist Hezbollah’s control of all ports, as well as the failure to take sanctions against those involved in those crimes that target the people of the country. The people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the non-cooperation in extraditing the wanted persons to the Kingdom in contravention of the Riyadh Agreement for Judicial Cooperation.

In this regard, the Kingdom’s government regrets the outcome of the relations with the Lebanese Republic due to the Lebanese authorities’ ignoring of the facts and their continued failure to take corrective measures to ensure the observance of the relations that the Kingdom has long been keen on based on the brotherly feelings and deep ties it has for the dear Lebanese people. The terrorist Hezbollah, based on the decision of the Lebanese state, has made Lebanon an arena and a launching pad for implementing projects of countries that do not wish the best for Lebanon and its brotherly people, who have historical ties with the Kingdom of all its sects and ethnicities since the independence of the Lebanese Republic, and as seen through Hezbollah providing support and training to the Houthi terrorist militia.

Accordingly, the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announces summoning the ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of Lebanon for consultations and the departure of the ambassador of the Lebanese Republic to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within the next (48) hours, and due to the importance of taking all necessary measures to protect the security of the Kingdom and its people, it has been decided to stop all Lebanese imports into the Kingdom. A number of other measures will also be taken to achieve these goals. In the interest of the citizens’ safety in light of the increasing instability of the security situation in Lebanon, the Kingdom’s government confirms what was previously issued regarding banning citizens from traveling to Lebanon.

The Kingdom’s government affirms its keenness on the Lebanese citizens residing in the Kingdom, whom it considers part of the fabric and bond that unites the Saudi people and their Arab brothers residing in the Kingdom, and does not consider that what is issued by the Lebanese authorities express the positions of the Lebanese community residing in the Kingdom and dear to the Saudi people.