President Joseph Aoun arrived in Qatar on Tuesday for a 24-hour official visit at the invitation of Prince Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with bilateral talks centered on Lebanon’s reconstruction efforts in the wake of the October 2024 war with Israel.
The visit comes just hours ahead of a separate arrival by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, marking a notable diplomatic sequencing in Doha.
According to the Lebanese Presidency, President Aoun is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Youssef Rajji. Lebanon’s Ambassador to Qatar Farah Berri is expected to join the delegation upon arrival. She will participate in broader discussions following a one-on-one meeting between the two heads of state.
The reconstruction of Lebanon, heavily impacted by the conflict sparked when Hezbollah opened a front against Israel in support of Hamas, is at the top of the agenda. Qatar has expressed its readiness to support the rebuilding process, though it has previously made clear that any assistance would be contingent on the restoration of political and security stability in Lebanon.
During a visit to Beirut in February, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani emphasized that Doha’s aid would depend on concrete steps toward national stabilization.
In addition to reconstruction, discussions in Doha are expected to touch on broader strategic issues, including extending state sovereignty across all Lebanese territory, reinforcing border control with Syria and Israel, and advancing long-awaited reforms.
Prior to his departure, President Aoun reaffirmed his commitment to consolidating all weapons under state authority. In interviews with al-Araby al-Jadeed and Al Jazeera, he made it clear that the decision to centralize arms had already been taken, ruling out any model akin to Iraq’s “Hachd al-Chaabi” Forces to integrate Hezbollah into Lebanon’s armed forces.
President Aoun is scheduled to return to Beirut late on Wednesday morning.
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