DAVOS: Only Lebanese citizens can help their country, Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan said on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum.
Responding to a question by Arab News regarding the outlook of Lebanon following the elections, Al-Jadaan said that șÚÁÏÉçÇű wants to see the best for the country, but that others cannot act for Lebanon.
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The Lebanese public last week cast their ballots in the countryâs general election, with Hezbollah and its allies suffering a blow to their majority.
The outcome signaled a shift in a country devastated by an ongoing financial crisis and soaring poverty.
âWe really care about Lebanese people,â Al-Jadaan said, adding: âWe want to see the best for Lebanon but then we canât act as Lebanese â it is the Lebanese who need to act.
âAs and when we see a serious government that is going to take care of the people of Lebanon, we will act. We have been (acting) historically and there is no reason why we wouldnât come to support.â
Ties between șÚÁÏÉçÇű and Lebanon have been strained amid growing illegal drug and captagon smuggling attempts from Beirut into the Kingdom.
Hezbollah is known to have primary control of captagon production and smuggling in the region, which it uses to finance its operations.
Last year, șÚÁÏÉçÇű, along with the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and other countries, severed diplomatic ties with Lebanon over Hezbollahâs dominance of the country and its government.
Since then, relations have improved, with Gulf diplomatic missions reopening in Beirut.