Lebanese Minister of Information announces resignation.
Following strained relations between Beirut and several Gulf Arab states following remarks by the Lebanese Minister of Information about the war in Yemen, the Lebanese Minister announced that he would resign.
Lebanese Minister of Information George Qardahi announced his resignation this morning (Friday) in an interview with the Lebanese network MTV.
According to MTV, the Lebanese Minister of Information stated: “By resigning, I want to open the door if this action helps a little to resolve the crisis between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.”
“From day one, I said that if resigning benefits, I’re ready to do it,” added George Qardahi.
According to Lebanese media reports, the Lebanese Minister of Information will officially announce his resignation in a statement this Friday afternoon.
Recent tensions between Lebanon and the Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, began when Lebanese Information Minister George Qardahi called for a halt to the war against Yemen in a televised interview prior to his appointment.
Asked how he assessed the current developments in Yemen, Qardahi said, “The brutal aggression against Yemen, which has been going on for eight years, must stop. “What the Yemenis are doing is their legal right to defend themselves, and I respect the resilience of the Yemeni people in the face of this aggression.”
Following these remarks, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates each recalled their ambassadors from Lebanon, and Kuwait, in a similar move, recalled its ambassador to Lebanon and gave the Lebanese embassy’s 48-hour opportunity to leave the country.
