Saudi Gazette report

ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday strongly denounced the derogatory and racist statements made by caretaker Lebanese Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

In a statement on Tuesday carried by WAM, the UAE official news agency, the country's foreign ministry said that the Lebanese ambassador to the UAE was summoned by the ministry and handed over an official note of protest, denouncing the Lebanese minister's remarks.

"These statements fly in the face of all diplomatic norms and are inconsistent with the historical relations between Lebanon and all GCC states."

Earlier in the day, Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry summoned the Lebanese ambassador to the Kingdom to express its strong disapproval of the comments made by the minister.

The Saudi foreign ministry said it strongly condemned the comments made in a television interview by Wehbe against the Kingdom, its people, and the GCC countries.