Al Jazeera :
France and Saudi Arabia have held a joint phone call with Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati, a gesture seen as significant in resolving an unprecedented diplomatic crisis between Riyadh and Beirut.
The call was made on Saturday as French President Emmanuel Macron visited Saudi Arabia after trips to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The kingdom and other Gulf states withdrew their ambassadors from Beirut last month, angered by a government minister who criticised the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The minister resigned on Friday.
Macron, who was in Saudi Arabia for talks with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, told reporters that Riyadh had committed to re-engage financially in the short term.
Saudi Arabia and Iran have long battled for influence in the region, including in Lebanon, which is struggling with a deep economic crisis and desperately needs financial support from regional and international donors.
