Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has expressed his country’s readiness to provide Lebanon with essential support across key sectors, including electricity and energy, during official talks held on Wednesday with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Doha.
The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional developments in a meeting at the Amiri Diwan, according to a statement from the Qatari royal court.
Their discussions focused on deepening cooperation in energy, economy, and investment, as well as on a number of regional and international issues of shared interest.
President Aoun emphasised Lebanon’s commitment to strengthening ties with Qatar to support mutual interests and foster stability and development in the region, the statement said.
In a post on his official X account, Sheikh Tamim described the meeting as an opportunity to reaffirm the “deep-rooted relationship between our two brotherly countries”, which he said was always marked by “cooperation, understanding, and mutual respect”.
“Qatar remains committed to standing with Lebanon and supporting its aspirations for recovery, prosperity, and development,” he said.
A separate statement from Lebanon’s presidency said that the emir stressed Qatar’s willingness to enhance its support for Lebanon following the election of Aoun and the formation of a new government.
“We want to see Lebanon stable,” Sheikh Tamim was quoted as saying. “There are favourable conditions internally and externally for this, and Qatar is prepared to offer whatever Lebanon needs, especially in electricity, energy, and continued support for the Lebanese army.”
Aoun reaffirmed the Lebanese army’s full commitment to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in southern Lebanon.
He said, however, that repeated Israeli violations and the ongoing Israeli occupation were hindering full army deployment in the area.
Aoun also noted that the army had continued to confiscate illegal weapons found in tunnels and hideouts and was in ongoing discussions to ensure that all arms are brought under state control.
The leaders also addressed Lebanese-Syrian relations, stressing the importance of maintaining stability along the shared border. Aoun briefed the emir on recent coordination between the two countries’ defence ministries and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s recent visit to Damascus.
The meeting concluded with a review of mechanisms to boost Lebanese-Qatari relations across all sectors.
President Aoun arrived in Doha on Tuesday accompanied by Foreign Minister Youssef Raji. His visit has already stirred debate in Lebanon following an exclusive interview published by The New Arab and its Arabic language edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, in which Aoun raised the possibility of Hezbollah fighters joining the national army.
“Hezbollah members are Lebanese citizens, and if they wish to join the army, they can go through the same integration courses that members of other political parties did after the civil war,” Aoun said. He stressed, however, that this would not resemble Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces model, and that Hezbollah would not become an independent unit within the Lebanese army.
His comments drew condemnation from Baghdad, which summoned the Lebanese ambassador on Wednesday and, in a statement from the foreign ministry, urged Aoun to refrain from invoking Iraq in Lebanon’s internal affairs.
Speaking about Qatar’s role, Aoun said he would not dictate how the Gulf country should support Lebanon.
“We’re here to thank Qatar and ask for its continued support to the army, and to encourage investment in several sectors – especially electricity and oil,” he said. “Qatar has always stood by Lebanon in difficult times and has a long-standing, deeply rooted relationship with our country.”
He added that Lebanon would present various investment projects during the visit, expressing hope that Qatar would be willing to invest in any sector.
