After years of curbs, Saudi Arabia's authorities have reopened the kingdom's market to imports from Lebanon, lifting a five-year ban, a statement by the official press agency indicated.  According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Wednesday evening, Riyadh justified the move by citing the encouraging measures taken by the Lebanese government to strengthen state institutions.  The import ban severed access to one of Lebanon's most important export markets and put particular pressure on the Lebanese agricultural sector.  "This is a real turning point," Ibrahim Tarshishi, chairperson of the farmers' association in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).  He said the focus would now be on creating the practical conditions for resuming exports and resolving outstanding issues such as transit visas for truck drivers. "We have waited five years for such a decision," he added.  Saudi Arabia halted imports of fruits and vegetables from Lebanon in 2021.  Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the decision, describing it as an expression of Saudi support for Lebanon, intended to strengthen the economy and further solidify relations between the two countries.  (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Daily Sabah