KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry yesterday voiced vehement condemnation and disapproval of the Lebanese information minister's remarks on Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE). In his comments, the Lebanese minister pressed baseless accusations against both sisterly countries, which ignore their great and much-appreciated role in supporting Yemen and its people and even contradict the authentic reality of the current situation in Yemen, the ministry said in a statement.

The statements also run counter to the Lebanese government's official position and wink at the crucial role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE as well as the Arab coalition to support Yemen's legitimacy, it added. The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry has summoned the Lebanese charge d'affires in Kuwait Hadi Hashem and handed him an official memo of protest including Kuwait's utter disapproval of these comments which have nothing to do whatsoever with the reality and contradict the simplest rules of dealings between countries.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry has also summoned Lebanon's Ambassador and handed him a letter of protest regarding comments made by Lebanese information minister George Kurdahi about Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the foreign ministry as saying in a statement that the Lebanese minister's "statements contradict the simplest political norms and are inconsistent with the historic relations between the two brotherly peoples." The ministry also expressed disappointment by the "insults contained in those statements directed at the Kingdom and countries part of the Arab coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen."

Lebanon's Arab brothers

Lebanon's Foreign Ministry has meanwhile defended its position that condemns "terrorist attacks" on Saudi Arabia, and stressed the security and safety of the Gulf States and their citizens. Responding to the Information Minister George Kurdahi's latest controversial comments, the ministry said in a statement, "a personal statement was previously issued by Lebanon's Minister of Information, George Kurdahi, prior to his appointment as minister, and it was published yesterday".

Late Tuesday, Lebanon Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement that "Lebanon highly respect and appreciates the people of the Gulf States," stressing the Lebanese government's adherence to "brotherhood ties with the Arabs". Regarding Minister Kurdahi's comments, Mikati said that these stances do not reflect those of the Lebanese government, neither reflect the government's ministerial statement that clings to brotherly ties with Lebanon's Arab brothers, especially with Saudi Arabia. He stressed his country's keenness to keep the good relations with Saudi Arabia, rejecting any interference in the kingdom's internal affair.

Inadequate understanding

In the meantime, GCC Secretary-General Nayef Al-Hajraf voiced utter rejection of the Lebanese information minister's statements, which reflect an inadequate understanding and superficial reading of happenings in Yemen. In a press statement, Hajraf deplored the Lebanese minister's criticism of Saudi Arabia, which leads the Arab coalition to support Yemen's legitimacy, as well as the UAE, while the coalition has been trying to improve the situation in Yemen since Houthi coup in September 2014. He called on the minister to read historical facts of the situation in war-torn Yemen so that he could be aware of the sizable support provided by the Saudi-led Arab coalition with a view to reaching a total solution to the Yemeni crisis.

The GCC chief, further, blasted the minister for having defended Houthi group while winking at the latter's recalcitrance against all international efforts to resolve the crisis and its missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and even disarmed Yemenis. He emphasized that Lebanon's minister of information should apologize for his remarks and that the Lebanese state should clarify its position. - KUNA