Saudi Arabia, Egypt stress need for Lebanese state to exercise sovereignty

Saudi Arabia and Egypt have stressed the importance of enabling the Lebanese state to exercise sovereignty over all of its territories in line with UN Security Council resolutions.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi agreed to deepen trade and investment cooperation and called for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon in talks in Cairo on Tuesday.

A joint statement released on Wednesday provided more detail.

“On the Lebanese issue, the two sides expressed their deep concern over the Israeli escalation in Lebanon and stressed their keenness on the security, stability and unity of Lebanese territories, and the preservation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the joint statement read.

Large swathes of Lebanon have been bombarded by weeks of intense Israeli attacks, which the latter says is part of its US-backed campaign to destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure and weapons caches.

The ensuing humanitarian crisis has displaced over a million people from their homes, with many sleeping on the streets.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt expressed solidarity with the Lebanese people and stressed the importance of enabling the Lebanese state with all its institutions to carry out its duties and extend its sovereignty over all Lebanese territories.

The two leaders also affirmed the importance of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in preserving Lebanon’s security and stability.

As part of a plan when and if a ceasefire is reached, the LAF is to deploy along the border with Israel, which is in line with UN Security Council resolutions.

Riyadh and Cairo called on the international community, specifically the UN Security Council, to assume its responsibilities in working to achieve an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Lebanon. They also reaffirmed the importance of fully implementing the Taif Accord, which ended the 1975-90 Civil War in Lebanon.