Lebanon president to await Saad Hariri return from Paris to decide next steps

BEIRUT: Lebanon's president said Thursday he was waiting for 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 Prime Minister 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.

"Lebanon's dignity, sovereignty and independence are above all interests," Aoun added.

In his sharply worded resignation from Saudi Arabia, Hariri, 47, accused Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilising 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.

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

"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.