Saudi Arabia will review the “obstacles” preventing the resumption of Lebanese imports and consider lifting its ban on citizens traveling to Lebanon, both governments announced on Tuesday, signaling a further thaw in relations.
The joint statement came after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. The visit marked Aoun’s first official trip abroad since assuming office in January, underscoring the significance of the discussions.
Riyadh has recently rekindled its engagement in Lebanese politics after a prolonged period of distancing itself due to the influence of Iran-backed Hezbollah. The group’s power has diminished following last year’s war with Israel, prompting Saudi Arabia to reconsider its stance.
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“The two sides agreed to start studying the obstacles facing the resumption of exports from the Lebanese Republic to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the measures necessary to allow Saudi citizens to travel to” Lebanon, the statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency said.
In April 2021, the kingdom suspended fruit and vegetable imports from Lebanon, charging that shipments were being used for drug-smuggling and accusing Beirut of inaction.
Saudi Arabia was the top destination for Lebanese agricultural exports in 2019, taking 22.1 percent, a Lebanese government report found in 2020.
Since 2021, Saudis have also had to obtain their government’s permission before travelling to Lebanon because of strained relations.
Aoun’s election, favored by both Riyadh and Washington, became possible due to the weakening of Hezbollah and the overthrow of its ally, Bashar al-Assad, in Syria. These developments significantly altered the balance of power in Lebanon, paving the way for his rise to the presidency.
In their joint statement, both sides underscored the necessity of “extending the state’s sovereignty over all Lebanese territory, ensuring that weapons remain solely in the hands of the Lebanese state, and reinforcing the national role of the Lebanese army.” They also highlighted the importance of providing continued support to Lebanon’s armed forces.
In 2016, Riyadh halted $3 billion in military aid to the Lebanese army, citing the political influence of Hezbollah.
On Friday, Aoun told Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that he would “seek, if possible, to reactivate military aid” during his Riyadh visit.
The joint statement also “emphasised the importance of implementing the commitments made in the presidential oath”.
Aoun had pledged upon taking office to usher in a new era in which the state would have a “monopoly on weapons”, in a country where Hezbollah was the only faction to retain its arms after the 1975-1990 civil war.
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They also agreed on “the necessity of the Israeli occupation army’s withdrawal” from Lebanese territory under a November ceasefire.
Last week, Defence Minister Israel Katz said troops would remain indefinitely in what he called a “buffer zone” after the expiry of an extended, February 18 deadline for Israel to complete its withdrawal.