KUWAIT CITY, Oct 27: The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry on Wednesday 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. Saudi Foreign Ministry summoned Wednesday Lebanon’s Ambassador and handed him a letter of protest regarding comments made by the Lebanese information minister about Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the foreign ministry as saying in a statement that the “statements contradict the simplest political norms and are inconsistent with the historic relations between the two brotherly peoples.” Lebanon Foreign Ministry, 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 Kordahi’s latest controversial comments, the ministry said in a statement, “a personal statement was previously issued by Lebanon’s Minister of Information, George Kordahi, prior to his appointment as minister, and it was published yesterday”. Late Tuesday, Lebanon Prime Minister Najib Mekati said in a statement that “Lebanon highly respect and appreciates the people pf the Gulf States, stressing the Lebanese government adherence to “brotherhood ties with the Arabs”.

Regarding Minister Kordahi’s comments, Mekati said that these stances does not reflect those of the Lebanese government. He stressed his countries keenness to keep the good relations with Saudi Arabia, rejecting any interference in the kingdom’s internal affair. GCC Secretary-General Nayef Al- Hajraf on Wednesday voiced utter rejection of the Lebanese information minister’s statements (on Saudi Arabia and UAE), which reflect an inadequate understanding and superficial reading of happenings in Yemen. In a press statement, Al-Hajraf deplored the Lebanese minister’s criticism of Saudi Arabia, which leads the Arab coalition to support Yemen’s legitimacy, as well as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while the coalition has been trying to improve the situation in Yemen since Houthi coup in September 2014. , (KUNA)