BEIRUT: Prime Minster Najib Mikati congratulated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on National Day, thanking the monarchy for its initiatives for peace in Lebanon.

“As Lebanese, we are proud of the special ties with the kingdom and we thank it for its repeated efforts to preserve peace and stability in Lebanon,” the premier said in a statement Monday.

The Saudi Embassy in Lebanon is holding a reception Tuesday at BIEL in Downtown Beirut to celebrate National Day, which is observed on Sept. 23 and marks the unification of the kingdom.

The premier said that Saudi Arabia is looked to by the countries of the Arab and Islamic worlds to take the initiative to resolve crises.

“We rely on its role now more than ever so that the Arab world can overcome the difficult challenges it is facing in order to have peace and stability once more,” Mikati said.

For his part, Saudi ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad al-Asiri said in a statement issued on the occasion that he is proud of King Abdullah’s call for dialogue between the Islamic world and other countries, as well as among Muslims.