Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri took to Twitter to share a selfie with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday, in an apparent attempt to show that his relationship with the kingdom is just fine.
Hariri traveled to Riyadh on Wednesday, his first visit to Saudi Arabia since his speculated and rumored "detention" there in November, when he abruptly announced his resignation.
Although Hariri eventually returned to Lebanon without incident, reneged on his decision to step down and assured his country that he was not detained, many in the Mediterranean nation continue to believe he was held against his will and forced to announce his resignation.
Due to this speculation, some raised concerns – and others made jokes – about the prime minister's return to the kingdom, where he also holds citizenship and business interests.
Upon arrival in the kingdom this week, King Salman welcomed Hariri to his country. According to Saudi media, the prime minister and the crown prince also discussed bilateral and regional issues on Friday.
The selfie shows the crown prince, the prime minister and the kingdom's ambassador to the U.S. Prince Khaled bin Salman standing together smiling warmly. All appear relaxed and at ease in the photo.
Hariri's resignation from Riyadh in November caused a political stir across the entire region. While he remained in kingdom, concerns were raised in Lebanon and internationally that he was forced into the decision by Saudi leaders.
During an interview with Future TV's Paula Yacoubian, Hariri tried to set the record straight, reiterating that the decision was his own. However, his statement did nothing to settle the hearts of conspiracy theorists at the time.
A day after his eventual return to Lebanon, Hariri suspended his resignation at the request of President Michel Aoun, who asked the prime minister to "put it on hold".
"Today I presented my resignation to his excellency the president, and he asked me to temporarily suspend submitting it and to put it on hold ahead of further consultations on the reasons for it," said Hariri after meeting the president at the Baabda presidential palace, according to BBC.
What will come of Hariri's current meetings with Saudi leaders remains to be see. But if photos are any proof, the discussions appear to be going well.