Aoun Says Keen on Ties as Emergency Meeting Urges KSA to Lift Produce Ban

President Michel Aoun on Monday called on security agencies to “be strict in combating smuggling operations and those behind them,” days after Saudi Arabia banned Lebanese produce over a Captagon shipment suspected to have come from Lebanon.

During an emergency meeting that he chaired in Baabda to address the ban, Aoun also underlined “Lebanon’s keenness on preserving the best ties with brotherly Arab nations and on protecting security and stability in them.”

Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab for his part said: “We are confident that Saudi Arabia and all Gulf nations know well that halting the import of Lebanese produce cannot prevent drug smuggling, which has various methods, and that cooperation among us can help rein in these networks.”

A closing statement issued after the meeting said the conferees urged Saudi Arabia to “reconsider the decision to ban the entry of Lebanese produce into Saudi Arabia,” emphasizing that Lebanon “has been and will always be the brother that is keen on the safety of its brothers.”

The conferees asked security agencies and the customs department to increase measures that prevent smuggling to any country and make sure that exports to Gulf nations don't "include illegal products."

The conferees also tasked caretaker Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi with “communicating and coordinating with the relevant authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to follow up on the measures that can unveil the culprits and prevent the recurrence of such deplorable practices.”

On Friday, Saudi Arabia announced it seized over 5 million pills of an amphetamine drug known as Captagon hidden in a shipment of pomegranates coming from Lebanon.

The Lebanese officials have asked the state prosecutor to follow up on the investigation into the shipment, adding that Lebanon strongly rejects that its facilities are used as a point for such "criminal acts."

The Saudi ban, ordered by the kingdom's Interior Ministry, went into effect Sunday. It was a major blow to the Lebanese economy, already reeling from an unprecedented economic crisis.

While Saudi Arabia has been a major Lebanon supporter, the kingdom has also been locked in a regional struggle with Iran, the main ally of the powerful Lebanese militant group Hizbullah. Tension between the two regional powerhouses have often spilled into a deadlock in decision-making in Lebanese politics. Saudi Arabia is among the Gulf countries that imposed sanctions on Hizbullah.

Lebanon's Farmers Union called on the kingdom to repeal its decision. It said the mistake of one person or a criminal gang should not be a reason to punish the Lebanese people.

Lebanon is experiencing the worst economic and financial crisis of its modern history. The local currency has lost 85% of its value to the dollar in recent months and businesses have shut down while banks imposed informal controls on transfers and withdrawals.