MANAMA (TASS): To improve relations with the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, the Lebanese authorities must show that the Shiite paramilitary organization and the Hezbollah party are capable of changing their behavior. Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdel Latif bin Rashed al-Zayani said this on Saturday, speaking in the kingdom’s capital at the Manama Dialogue conference organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.
“We are ready to provide our support and try to find a solution to existing problems in the future, provided that the Lebanese authorities demonstrate that Hezbollah is capable of changing its behavior, <…> moreover, not only in relation to Lebanon, but also in relation to neighboring , friendly and fraternal states, “said the head of the Foreign Ministry, whose speech was broadcast live on the conference website.
Among other things, the minister accused the Shiite organization of “supporting extremists and inciting people to organize riots.” In this regard, in his opinion, the need to change the policy towards Hezbollah is a real challenge for the Lebanese people. “All decisions made must be implemented in practice,” he summed up.
In March 2016, the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC, which includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates) ranked Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
At the moment, a diplomatic scandal is unfolding between Beirut and a number of GCC countries over the statements of the Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi about Saudi Arabia’s intervention in the armed conflict in Yemen. On August 5, Kordahi took part in the program of the Qatari TV channel Al Jazeera and spoke in defense of the Yemeni Houthi rebels from the Ansar Allah movement, who, he said, were opposing unjust and inhuman aggression. These remarks, which were made prior to his appointment as minister, drew regional media outlets in late October, prompting a backlash from Riyadh.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry called Kordahi’s remarks defamatory and distorting the kingdom’s position in support of the legitimate Yemeni government. The authorities of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates expelled Lebanese ambassadors and recalled their diplomats from Beirut. In addition, the Saudi Arabian government has suspended imports of Lebanese vegetables and fruits, threatening disastrous consequences for the Lebanese economy.
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