BEIRUT: Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said Thursday that working against Prime Minister Saad Hariri would threaten the country’s stability and lead to a rise in extremism.
In a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel after the two met in Berlin, Bassil said, “Hariri ... promotes moderation in Lebanon and the world, and he should be supported and not obstructed. Fighting him is going to lead to the strengthening of extremist ideas that both Europe and Lebanon are suffering from and that will lead to threatening Lebanon’s stability.”
Bassil’s stop in Germany was the latest the foreign minister had made after having embarked on a tour of European countries Tuesday in the wake of Hariri’s shock resignation.
Hariri announced his resignation on Nov. 4 while in Riyadh and remained in Saudi Arabia following his announcement, furthering the uncertainty caused by his surprise exit. Lebanese officials’ calls for Hariri to return to resolve the political crisis have been echoed by European governments and the U.S.
Speculation around Hariri’s freedom to leave Saudi Arabia has heightened tensions between Lebanon and the kingdom. Hariri and his family are, however, expected to travel to Paris in the coming days, after being invited by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Gabriel said these travel plans represented a positive development. “We welcome Macron’s invitation and this is proof that there are no restraints on Hariri and he can move freely. We expect his return to Beirut.”
He added that the EU should support Macron in his diplomatic efforts, and that he had discussed doing so with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “We, as Europeans, support maintaining political stability in Lebanon,” Gabriel said, adding that the country should not be used as a proxy for regional conflicts.