Aoun Says Lebanon Committed to Dissociation Policy, Hariri Paris Trip 'Start of Solution'

President Michel Aoun stressed Lebanon's commitment to the dissociation policy and said that he was waiting for Prime Minister Saad Hariri to return from France to decide on the next steps, after Beirut accused Saudi Arabia of detaining the premier following his shock resignation.

"I am awaiting the return of Hariri from Paris for us to decide the next step with regards to the government," the presidency's Twitter account quoted Michel Aoun as saying.

Hariri has not returned to Lebanon since he announced his resignation while in Saudi Arabia on November 4.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Thursday during a visit to the kingdom that Hariri would travel to France.

Hariri's decision to accept an invitation to Paris is the "start of a solution" to the crisis sparked by his resignation in Saudi Arabia, ِAoun said.

Hariri has been in Riyadh since announcing his shock resignation from there on November 4, and Aoun on Wednesday accused Saudi authorities of "detaining" the premier.

"We hope that the crisis is over and Hariri's acceptance of the invitation to go to France is the start of a solution," Aoun said.

In his sharply worded resignation statement, Hariri, 47, accused Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran and its Lebanese ally Hizbullah of destabilizing his country and the broader region.

Speculation has swirled around the fate of Hariri, who is a dual Saudi citizen.

On Wednesday, Aoun accused Saudi Arabia of "detaining" Hariri after what he said was his failure to return to the country for 12 days.

"We consider him to be held and detained, contrary to the Vienna Convention," he said.

"He will come to France and the prince has been informed," Le Drian told reporters, referring to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman with whom he held talks the previous evening.

The French president's office said on Wednesday that Hariri and his family had been invited to France for a "few days" but that did not mean he would stay there in exile.

Macron has stressed that Hariri should be able to return to Lebanon to confirm or withdraw his resignation in person.