(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil is scheduled to travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to attend talks on joint action against the Islamic State (IS) group, a cabinet minister said.
The minister, who remained unidentified, told al-Liwaa newspaper in remarks published Wednesday that Bassil will attend a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and nine Arab states in addition to Turkey.
Kerry is seeking to build a broad coalition against jihadists in Iraq and Syria that has already won support from Arab nations.
The talks coincide with a much-touted address from President Barack Obama at the White House, where he will outline a strategy to confront IS and address criticism that he has been slow to respond to a wave of atrocities that has shocked the world.
Islamic extremists overran the Lebanese border town of Arsal last month, killing and capturing a number of soldiers and police officers.
The fighting between Lebanese troops and the militants was the most serious spillover yet of Syria’s conflict into the neighboring country.