The Lebanese army general has emerged as a potential presidential candidate since last year.
Qatar has stressed the importance of supporting Lebanon’s military institution amid its worst economic crisis in decades, Beirut’s state news agency (NNA) reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, the sentiments were shared during a meeting between Qatar’s Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed Al Khulaifi and Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun in Beirut.
“During the meeting, the Qatari envoy hailed the role of the Lebanese military institution, stressing the importance of supporting it in order to enable it to carry out its mission and preserve the country’s security and stability,” NNA reported.
The Gulf state has been providing the Lebanese army with much-needed financial aid since 2021. Last week, Qatar sent the sixth batch of aid to the Lebanese institution.
Dr. Al Khulaifi’s visit comes amid efforts to fill the Lebanese presidency after failure to agree on a candidate following the retreat of former President Michel Aoun in October last year.
Since last year, General Aoun, who is not related to the former leader, has emerged as a potential presidential candidate.
On the other hand, the powerful Hezbollah movement has vocally expressed its support for pro-Syria’s Bashar Al Assad regime candidate Sleiman Frangieh.
During the first day of his trip to Beirut, Dr. Al Khulaifi met with officials from religious and political sides, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.
Dr. Al Khulaifi also met with Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul-Latif Derian and Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi.
Before concluding his visit on Tuesday, the Qatari envoy also met with Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.
While previous reports hinted towards a possible meeting with Hezbollah’s leadership, there was no mention of such an interaction.
The Director of Media and Communication Department at Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Ibrahim Al Hashmi told a weekly press briefing on Tuesday that Dr. Al Khulaifi’s visit confirms Doha’s support for Beirut “to get out of crises.”
The international community has been pressing Lebanon to hold its presidential elections while expressing concern over the country’s socio-economic turmoil.
Since 2019, the currency has lost more than 90% of its value to the US dollar, leaving many families living in poverty and unable to access their savings.
The Covid-19 outbreak and the Beirut blast have exacerbated Lebanon’s circumstances.
Meanwhile, the public believes Lebanon’s crises have exacerbated due to politicians, as well as prevalent sectarianism within the government that has left a presidential vacuum.
In February, representatives of various countries – Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Egypt, France -met in Paris to discuss a possible roadmap for the country and officials in attendance warned that an absence of presidential elections may drive them to reconsider ties with Beirut.
Analysts said that while Qatar’s current role is “welcome and appreciated”, they believe the situation in Lebanon is more complicated than it was at the time of Doha’s previous mediation during the 2008 crisis.
“This time around, unfortunately, issues are more complicated than even in 2008. The question has always been about the degree of cooperation between Lebanon’s politicians. This is not plentiful this time around and the polarisation is extreme,” Dr. Imad Harb, Director of Research and Analysis at the Arab Center Washington, DC, told Doha News.
