Paris: France's $3 billion Saudi-funded deal to provide military supplies to Lebanon has not been cancelled, the Saudi foreign minister said Wednesday, despite delays caused by concerns that weapons could end up in the wrong hands.
"There is an agreement... there is no blockage. Everything is proceeding normally," said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir during a visit to Paris.
Lebanon received the first tranche of weapons designed to bolster its army against jihadist threats, including anti-tank guided missiles, in April, but press reports have since indicated that the $3 billion (2.7 billion euro) programme has run into obstacles.
On Wednesday, a French diplomatic source denied the deal had been cancelled but said there were delays.
"It is being evaluated at the request of the Saudis for political reasons because Saudi Arabia is extremely cautious on the issue that these materials go only to the Lebanese army," the source said.
AFP
