Hariri and Macron Meet in Paris; Hariri to Return to Lebanon on Wednesday

Saad Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, met with Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, at the Élysée Palace on Saturday, November 18, after arriving in Paris. No details of their conversation have been released yet. According to a statement from Emmanuel Macron's office and reported by AFP, Mr. Hariri told Michel Aoun, the President of Lebanon, on Saturday that he intends to return to Lebanon on Wednesday to participate in the ceremonies for Lebanon's Independence Day. After his meeting with Macron, Hariri told reporters, 'God willing, I will be present on Independence Day in Lebanon, and after meeting with Michel Aoun, I will announce my political position from Lebanon.' He emphasized, 'As I know, I have resigned, and we will discuss these matters in Lebanon.' Meanwhile, the President of Lebanon also tweeted on Thursday quoting Mr. Hariri that he intends to return to his country on Wednesday, coinciding with the anniversary of Lebanon's independence. Saad Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon, arrived in Paris on Saturday, November 18, after a two-week stay in Saudi Arabia, which was surrounded by much speculation, to meet with the French President. Earlier, the 'Future' television network, affiliated with the Hariri family, announced that Mr. Hariri had left Saudi Arabia for France. Hariri also tweeted to German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, stating, 'The claim that I was held against my will in Saudi Arabia and was not allowed to leave is nothing but a lie. I am on my way to the airport, Mr. Gabriel.' This was a response to Sigmar Gabriel, who stated on Friday that Saad Hariri was in Saudi Arabia against his will and was not allowed to leave. During his visit to Saudi Arabia, on November 4, Hariri unexpectedly announced his resignation in a televised speech broadcasted by Al Arabiya. In his resignation announcement, Hariri harshly criticized Iran and Hezbollah, accusing them of interfering in Lebanese and other Arab countries' affairs. Reuters reported on Saturday, November 18, that according to a source in the French government, the two officials are set to discuss 'the reasons for Hariri's resignation and the way forward' in the coming days. However, no details of the meeting and discussions between the two high-ranking officials from Beirut and Paris have been released yet. Reuters quoted 'a senior French diplomat' stating, 'It is important that Hariri has come to Paris so that we can work with him on the best way to exit this crisis.' The diplomat also mentioned that France's aim in mediating this issue is to 'create conditions for de-escalation and avoid an escalation of the crisis in the region.' Hariri's resignation announcement sparked widespread reactions. Several high-ranking Lebanese officials and even political figures close to Saad Hariri stated that Saudi Arabia forced Hariri to resign, and now he cannot leave Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, stated on Thursday that the decision on when Saad Hariri wants to return to Lebanon is up to Mr. Hariri himself.