Paris: Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri arrived today in France from Saudi Arabia, where his resignation announcement two weeks ago sparked accusations that he was being held there against his will.
A source close to Hariri confirmed he had landed after flying in overnight from Riyadh, while Lebanese TV station LBCI showed live images of the premier and his wife arriving at their Paris residence.
Hariri was speaking on the telephone as he entered the property, with media held at a distance under tight security. An airport source said Hariri had landed at Le Bourget airport outside Paris at 7:00 am.
He is in Paris at the invitation of France's President Emmanuel Macron, who is attempting to help broker a solution to a political crisis that has raised fears over Lebanon's fragile democracy.
Hariri and his wife Lara are due to meet Macron at noon.
