Top Qatari official reiterated his country’s support to Lebanon by providing energy supplies and ensuring the delivery of the necessary gas for electricity generation.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has voiced the Gulf state’s support for Lebanon’s reconstruction following Israel’s brutal aggression on the country.
“Qatar will be present in Lebanon’s reconstruction file and we look forward to completing the formation of the government,” Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Doha’s foreign minister, told a press conference in Beirut on Tuesday.
Sheikh Mohammed’s “support visit” came weeks after the election of Joseph Aoun, a former army commander, as Lebanon’s president in a parliament session following a two-year power vacuum.
This followed the appointment of Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, the former president of the International Court of Justice, to form a new government.
The major developments came after Hezbollah and Israel agreed to a ceasefire deal on November 27 following the latter’s intensified aggression on Lebanon.
Israel has killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon since October 8, 2023, according to the latest figures by the Lebanese health ministry. The Israeli occupation forces have continued to violate the deal by refusing to withdraw from the south of the country while continuing to attack the civilian population there.
Sheikh Mohammed has expressed Qatar’s rejection of Israel’s violations of the ceasefire deal in Lebanon.
“We reject Israel’s violations of the ceasefire agreement and its violation of Lebanese airspace,” the Qatari official said.
“We stress the need to implement Resolution 1701 so that Lebanon can regain its sovereignty,” he added.
In 2006, Qatar led reconstruction efforts in Lebanon following Israel’s war on the country, a move that the Lebanese population have continued to highlight under the slogan “Shukran Qatar”, translating to “Thank you Qatar” in Arabic.
High-level meetings
President Aoun met Sheikh Mohammed upon his arrival in Beirut at Baabda Palace, where discussions focused on Qatar and Lebanon’s relations, particularly in the field of energy, according to a statement by Doha’s foreign ministry.
The top Qatari official reaffirmed his country’s “commitment to supporting Lebanon with energy supplies and ensuring the delivery of gas required for electricity generation,” the statement added.
Sheikh Mohammed also underlined Qatar’s constant efforts in supporting Lebanon’s army through various initiatives.
Last month, Lebanon’s army received the third shipment of fuel from Qatar as part of an initiative launched by the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to support the institution’s capabilities.
The delivery was part of the Qatar Fund for Development’s $15m grant announced last September, which entailed providing the Lebanese army with fuel for three months.
“Qatar has always been by Lebanon’s side, supporting the Lebanese in difficult times. We look forward to the return of our Qatari brothers to Lebanon,” Aoun said.
Sheikh Mohammed has also met Lebanon’s prime minister-designate at his residence in Qoreitem, Beirut.
“During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them, in addition to a number of regional and international issues,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Other meetings took place in Lebanon, including one with Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri, in Ain El-Tineh, where he thanked Qatar “for its continuous support to Lebanon since 2006 and its ongoing efforts to rebuild Lebanon”.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed’s meeting with Lebanon’s Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati dealt with bilateral cooperation relations.