Hariri free to move around in Saudi: French minister

Riyadh, Nov 10 :  France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday said that he believed Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri is free to move around in Saudi Arabia.

"As far as we know, we believe he is free to move around in Saudi and he makes his own decisions," the minister said.

Le Drian was in Riyadh with France's President Emmanuel Macron on an unscheduled visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Macron, who came from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), held talks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who recently launched a massive anti-corruption crackdown.

"The French President condemned the Houthi missile attack on Riyadh and stressed France's stand and solidarity with the Kingdom," the official Saudi Press Agency said.

It added that the two leaders also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and their efforts for security and stability in the region, including joint coordination efforts in the fight against terrorism.

Macron's visit came as tensions are rising between the Sunni kingdom and Shia Iran over Lebanon and Yemen.

Hariri announced his resignation last week in Riyadh. He accused Iran, a major foe of Saudi Arabia, of interfering in Lebanese internal affairs through the militant group Hezbollah, and said his "life is under danger".

But Hezbollah accused Saudi Arabia of forcing Hariri to resign and putting him under house arrest.