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Hariri: My Stay in Saudi Arabia Was to Discuss Lebanon's Future


FILE - A poster of resigned Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri with Arabic that read, "We are all with you," hangs on a street in Beirut, Lebanon, Nov. 13, 2017.
FILE - A poster of resigned Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri with Arabic that read, "We are all with you," hangs on a street in Beirut, Lebanon, Nov. 13, 2017.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Friday he has been in Saudi Arabia, from where he announced his shocking resignation, for discussions on the future of the region.

"My stay in the kingdom is aimed at conducting consultations on the future of Lebanon and its relations with its Arab neighbors," he wrote on Twitter ahead of his trip to France.

Hariri went on to say that any other information about his stay in Riyadh, his departure from Lebanon, or his family are "just rumors."

Hariri has been in Saudi Arabia since announcing his resignation earlier this month, prompting questions about whether he was being held there and leading Lebanese President Michel Aoun to declare Hariri was being detained.

Aoun has said he will not formally accept Hariri's resignation until he returns to Lebanon.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Thursday rejected as "baseless" allegations that Saudi Arabia was detaining Hariri and said it is up to him to decide when to leave.

Hariri has accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to travel to France in the coming days.

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