Lebanese army chief Joseph Aoun meets with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdel Aziz al-Khulaifi in Yarze, April 4, 2023. (Credit: Lebanese Army)
BEIRUT — Qatar's assistant regional foreign minister, who is on an official visit to Beirut, "praised the role of the military institution" amid Lebanon's crisis, the army said in a statement Tuesday.
Mohammad bin Abdel Aziz al-Khulafi met with Lebanese army chief Joseph Aoun Tuesday and renewed Qatar's "support" for the Lebanese army, the statement added.
Doha regularly announces financial and material aid to Lebanon's troops, which Khulafi said Tuesday were aimed at preserving security in the country.
Khulafi later on Tuesday met with Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Gebran Bassil and Lebanese Forces (LF) head Samir Geagea.
The Qatari official's visit comes as Lebanon enters a sixth month with no president, with multiple voting sessions having ended in failure.
Diplomatic efforts have ramped up in recent weeks to break the deadlock. In February, US, French, Saudi, Qatari and Egyptian diplomats met in Paris to set a roadmap for a way out of the crisis in Lebanon.
Qatar has taken on a mediator role while attempting to strengthen its influence in the region. According to information obtained by L'Orient-Le Jour from an Arab diplomatic source, Khulafi's visit to Beirut this week is aimed at pushing for a compromise in the presidential deadlock.
Meanwhile, the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati Tuesday and stressed the need to elect a president.
On Monday, Khulaifi held talks with leaders from various political parties and discussed "the need to strengthen dialogue to resolve the internal crises and regulate the work of constitutional institutions," according to the state-run National News Agency.