https://arab.news/93x4b
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has traveled to Saudi Arabia on Monday for his first trip abroad since taking office earlier this year, the presidency said.
“President Aoun left Rafic Hariri International Airport heading to Riyadh,” the presidency said on platform “X”.
Aoun will be accompanied by his country’s foreign minister and ambassdor to Saudi Arabia.
The president said he chose Saudi Arabia as his first destination because of its “historic links” with Lebanon and its role as a regional and global player.
“I hope and expect that Saudi Arabia will help us reset relations in the interest of both countries and overcome recent obstacles,” he told Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat in an interview Friday.
He voiced hopes of “building normal economic ties”, saying Lebanon could align with "Vision 2030”.
“This would allow the Saudis to return to their second home, Lebanon, while Lebanese look forward to reconnecting with Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Aoun, who took office in January this year, has pledged to usher in a new era where the Lebanese state would have a “monopoly on weapons.”