A senior Arab League official held talks in Lebanon on Monday in a bid to ease a rift with Saudi Arabia after offensive comments against the Kingdom by Information Minister George Kordahi.
Arab League Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki said the crisis could have been defused if Kordahi had resigned.
Zaki met Lebanon's president, prime minister and parliament speaker during his visit. President Michel Aoun said he welcomed any Arab League initiative to restore ties with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has expelled the Lebanese ambassador, recalled its envoy to Beirut and banned imports from Lebanon in response to the comments by Kordahi.
Bahrain and Kuwait took similar steps, while the United Arab Emirates withdrew all its diplomatic staff.
Kordahi, who says the interview was recorded before he became information minister, has so far refused to quit.
Zaki said the matter of Kordahi's resignation had been discussed in his meetings.
He said he had a "candid and positive" meeting with Aoun and that he had found an entry point to resolving the crisis but the problem between the countries was "not simple".
A source told Reuters that Zaki had proposed Kordahi resign as a first step.
