UK foreign secretary says Hariri should return to Lebanon

BEIRUT: British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Sunday he hopes Saad al-Hariri returns to Beirut “without further delay”.

Last week, al-Hariri had announced — from Saudi Arabia — that he was resigning as the prime minister of Lebanon

In a statement, Johnson said he had spoken with Lebanese foreign minister Gebran Bassil on Sunday and reiterated Britain’s support for Lebanon.

Johnson said Lebanon “should not be used as [a]tool for proxy conflicts” and its independence should be respected.