BEIRUT, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday that Lebanon will prevent drug trafficking to Gulf countries in order to ease Lebanon's strained ties with them because of the problem.
Lebanon is committed to protecting its security and the security of brotherly and friendly countries by preventing the exporting of any prohibited items to "our brothers who have never abandoned Lebanon," Mikati was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Lebanese Council of Ministers.
"At the forefront of these countries is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," he added.
Mikati's remarks came during a roundtable discussion organized by the Lebanese government in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to discuss activating supply chain security in Lebanon as part of the government's plan to combat drug trafficking and smuggling through ports.
Mikati said by examining the exported and imported containers and ensuring that they are safe, Lebanon will be able to restore the full movement of its exports, especially fruits and vegetables, to the Arab markets, namely the Gulf countries.
Cristina Albertin, the UNODC regional representative in the Middle East and North Africa, said the Container Control Program of UNODC seeks to build the capacities of member states to improve their ability to manage risks, maintain supply chain security and facilitate trade at seaports, airports and border crossings to prevent cross-border crime and smuggling of illegal goods across borders.
Lebanon's relations with Saudi Arabia were strained after the kingdom decided on Oct. 29, 2021 to ban all Lebanese imports, following an incident in which the Saudi customs found 5.3 million captagon pills hidden inside pomegranates imported from Lebanon. ■
