国际英语新闻:UAE questions Lebanon's dissociation policy after Hezbollah chief meets Houthi delegation

DUBAI, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) top diplomat on Saturday questioned Lebanon's policy of dissociation from regional affairs, just after the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah met with a delegation of Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels.

"How is the policy of disassociation that Lebanon needs to be consistent with its political and economic balance and its Arab and international position, with Hassan Nasrallah receiving a delegation from Houthi rebels?" Anwar Gargash, UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, expressed the doubts on his twitter account.

"Lebanon can not be a logistical or political station for Houthis," he noted, referring to the Yemeni crisis as "priorities intrinsically linked to the future of the security and stability of the Gulf."

The UAE is part of the Saudi-led Arab coalition that has been fighting the Shiite Houthi rebels since March 2015 to support the internationally-recognized government led by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The coalition accuses Iran of arming the Houthis, who have fired scores of ballistic missiles on Saudi troops and cities since the outbreak of hostilities.

In November 2017, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait urged their citizens not to travel to Lebanon after the Saudi government slammed Hezbollah's influence on Lebanese politics.

The United Nations has invited both the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels for peace talks in Geneva to be held on Sept. 6.