MP Bassil says he shares with Saudi Arabia agreement on several core principles

Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Gebran Bassil said a recent meeting with Saudi envoy Prince Yazid bin Farhan was given exaggerated importance, noting that it was the fourth or fifth time he has met the Saudi official.

In remarks to the press, Bassil said the meeting had been scheduled in advance and was unrelated to regional developments, particularly reports of differences between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Bassil said he and Saudi Arabia share an agreement on several core principles, including the unity of states, institutions, and arms, stressing that weapons should be exclusively in the hands of national armies rather than factions, brigades, or militias, whether in Lebanon or elsewhere in the region.

He linked developments in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as potential scenarios in Iran, to what he described as a single project aimed at encircling Saudi Arabia and undermining the two-state solution in Palestine. Bassil also cited earlier events in Ethiopia and Somalia as part of the same broader context.

Addressing the situation of Christians in Lebanon, Bassil said events in Syria reflected warnings he had previously raised. He said Lebanon has become nearly the last country in the Middle East to maintain an active Christian presence, placing a heightened responsibility on its leaders.

Bassil said that responsibility begins with adopting a sound vision to preserve that presence, not only in terms of numbers, but also in terms of message and role within the country.