BEIRUT, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday expressed his regret at Saudi Arabia's decision to expel the Lebanese ambassador and ban imports from the country after a Lebanese minister's comments criticizing the Saudi-led coalition's war in Yemen, the National News Agency reported.
Mikati reiterated his government's commitment to good relations with Saudi Arabia and called on Arab partners to put the diplomatic crisis behind them.
Saudi Arabia on Friday decided to ban all imports from Lebanon and gave the Lebanese ambassador 48 hours to leave the kingdom, after comments by Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi that called the Yemeni Houthi militia's actions "self-defense" against the Saudi-led coalition.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Kordahi dismissed claims accusing him of hostility against Saudi Arabia and said "nobody should dictate to Lebanon what it needs to do in terms of keeping a minister in the government or not."
Lebanon's Hezbollah that de facto dominates the parliament has refused to bow to Saudi Arabia's demand for Kordahi's resignation.
