Title: Abu Ghait: Statements Offensive to Saudi Arabia Are Inappropriate

The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Abu Ghait, expressed his deep regret over the comments made by the Lebanese Foreign Minister during a television interview the day before yesterday, which exceeded bounds regarding Gulf countries in general and Saudi Arabia in particular. He described those statements as "far from diplomatic etiquette." A source from the General Secretariat of the Arab League conveyed the Secretary-General's belief that "the language of dialogue used by senior officials of Arab countries should always reflect feelings of brotherhood and mutual respect among Arab peoples, avoiding incitement, hostility, and the fueling of discord." The source also expressed "great regret" that these statements came at an extremely critical time for Lebanon, when it needs all the support from its friends and brothers, contributing to the tension in Lebanese-Gulf relations rather than correcting its course as needed.