Saad al-Hariri, who announced his resignation as Lebanon's prime minister from Saudi Arabia reacts as he talks with Lebanese President Michel Aoun while attending a military parade to celebrate the 74th anniversary of Lebanon's independence in downtown Be
CAIRO – 22 November 2017: After 18 days of waiting, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri broke his silence and gave a speech during Beirut’s Independence Day celebration Wednesday, saying that he decided to suspend his resignation allowing more serious dialogue between political parties to take place.
“I presented today my resignation to President Michel Aoun but he urged me to wait before offering it and to wait for more dialogue on its reasons and political background, and I agreed," Hariri said in his speech.
He added that this dialogue is supposed to tackle all reasons for his resignation. “I accepted Aoun’s request to postpone my resignation, hoping that this will offer us a serious chance to address our sectarian problems and its impact on our international relations especially with our Arab brothers,” Hariri stated.
Lebanon’s prime minster affirmed during his speech that “this delicate stage Lebanon is going through demands of all of us to commit to self-control in the favor of our country.”
“I look for real partnership with all of the political parties in Lebanon for the favor of Lebanon’s supreme interest and to maintain its safety, stability and peace. Thank you all and long live Lebanon,” Hariri concluded.
Tuesday night, Hariri arrived in Lebanon after 18 days of absence. He met with Aoun for the first time to discuss the reasons for his resignation.
On November 4, Hariri announced his sudden resignation in a short video from al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and then travelled for a quick visit to France with his family in which he met with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Yesterday, Hariri arrived in Cairo and met Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.
During their meeting, Sisi stressed on Egypt’s full support for Lebanon’s stability, calling on all Lebanese parties to prioritize the higher national interest of the Lebanese people and reject foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs.
The meeting highlighted the latest developments in Lebanon, according to the Egyptian presidency spokesperson Bassam Rady. From his side, Hariri hailed the strong and deep relations between Egypt and Lebanon.
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