Lebanon PM to visit Gulf after Saudi aid cutoff
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Lebanon's Prime Minister says he will head a ministerial delegation to visit Gulf states in the near future after Saudi Arabia halted security assistance deals worth $4 billion.
The Saudi move came after Lebanon failed to back the Sunni kingdom in its spat with Shiite powerhouse Iran, the leading backer of Hezbollah.
In a statement Monday, Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam insisted Beirut stands by Arab countries.
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Salam says it is necessary to rectify relations between Lebanon and its "brothers," and "remove the stains" that surfaced recently.
Salam heads a unity Cabinet that includes members of an Iran-backed coalition headed by Hezbollah and the Saudi-supported March 14 group.
Salam said Lebanon will maintain its policy of "disassociation" from regional conflicts.