Lebanese patriarch plans to meet Hariri in Saudi Arabia: spokesman

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) BEIRUT: Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch will visit Saudi Arabia next week and has received 'a positive response from Saudi officials over the possibility of meeting with Saad al-Hariri, who resigned as prime minister, his spokesman said.

The head of the Maronite Catholic church, Patriarch Beshara al-Rai, will take a message to the kingdom that 'Lebanon cannot handle conflict, spokesman Walid Ghayyad said. A meeting between Rai and Hariri will take place in principle, he said.

Lebanon believes Riyadh is holding Hariri, who resigned as prime minister in a surprise weekend broadcast from the kingdom, two top Lebanese government officials said on Thursday.

(Reporting by Ellen Francis; Editing by Toby Chopra)\

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