Saad Hariri, who announced his resignation as Lebanon's premier last November, accepted the invitation from Paris.
The date of arrival, however, was not communicated. Meanwhile, Lebanese President Michel Aoun would have announced his arrival in the French capital on Saturday, in view of a short stay a few days before returning to Beirut.
Hariri has been leading a unity government since December 2016, after two years of emptiness in the presidency and consequently across the parliamentary spectrum. His resignation raised tensions between Riyadh and Tehran. Even today, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir has defined the Lebanese Shiite group as a "terrorist" and an instrument of Iran to "impose its domination" in the country.
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived in Riyadh during the night, to try to mediate in the political crisis triggered by the announcement of his resignation. At a press conference, he confirmed that Hariri accepted the invitation made yesterday by President Emmanuel Macron to him and his family, reiterating that the Lebanese politician will be welcomed as a "friend".
The prime minister resided between Paris and Riyadh between 2005 and 2016, after the murder of his father Rafiq Hariri, who was also prime minister in an attack on February 14, 2005. Five members of the Shiite Hezbollah group are on trial for the assassination. , until two weeks ago allied to the government led by Saad Hariri.
Meanwhile, the latter remains in Riyadh and has not explained the reasons why he remains in the city. Aoun called this stay "unacceptable". In recent days, the outgoing premier has promised several times to return to Beirut, ensuring that he will not be detained as the Lebanese president himself and other country politicians have instead denounced.
For its part, the Saudi government has assured that Hariri "can leave whenever he wants", said the foreign minister, speaking alongside Le Drian.
Jubeir rejected Aoun's accusations, calling them "unfounded" and pointing out that Hariri, who also has Saudi nationality, remained in Riyadh by his own will.
The announcement of the trip to Paris was well received in Beirut, where Aoun said it could be the decisive step in ending the political crisis.
"We hope that the crisis is over and the door to a solution has opened," he said in front of reporters. However, the president, who has not yet accepted his resignation, added that he awaits his return to Beirut to understand what the next steps will be.
The decisive factor, according to Aoun, will be to understand what reasons led Hariri to go to Riyadh and want to resign. In announcing his resignation, the premier spoke of threats to his life and criticized Iran for its interference in Lebanese and regional politics.