Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdallah Ali al-Yahya shakes hands with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Jan. 24, 2025 in Baabda. (Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun vowed on Friday to strengthen Lebanon’s ties with Gulf states, promising to establish “new bases of cooperation” once Nawaf Salam's government is formed. The statement, reported by Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), came during a meeting at Baabda Palace with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdallah Ali al-Yahya, who was on an official visit to Beirut.
The Kuwaiti foreign minister reaffirmed his country’s “commitment” to Lebanon, emphasizing the need to "relaunch joint committees" between the two nations.
Waiting for the Gulf to return
"We will reach out to the Gulf countries once the new government is formed to set up new bases for cooperation, in line with the inaugural speech,” said Aoun, who was elected president on Jan. 9. "I am sure that you will give help to your brothers in Lebanon who are waiting for your return," he added.
The Kuwaiti minister arrived at Beirut international airport on Friday morning, where he was received by Lebanon’s caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib and Yassine al-Majed, Kuwait’s chargé d’affaires in Beirut.
Yahya and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassem al-Boudaiwi, who also arrived in Beirut on Friday, met with Aoun. Boudaiwi expressed the GCC’s continued support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and pledged to launch a "cooperation program for Lebanon."
On Thursday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Beirut, marking a significant thaw in relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia after years of strained ties, following Riyadh's standoff with Tehran. Bin Farhan’s visit is the first by a senior Saudi official to Lebanon since 2010, signaling renewed Saudi interest in Lebanese affairs amid ongoing regional dynamics.
The Saudi minister extended an invitation to Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia. He also conveyed Riyadh’s confidence in Lebanon’s new leadership, according to L'Orient Today's sources. He also met with Berri in Ain al-Tineh before holding discussions with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail.
Mikati and aid to Lebanon
For his part, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with Boudaiwi and his delegation at the Grand Serail. The meeting, attended by Nabil Jisr, President of the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), focused on "relations between Lebanon and Kuwait and ways to strengthen and develop them amid political developments in Lebanon," according to the National News Agency (NNA).
At the end of the meeting, Mikati said the Kuwaiti minister expressed his readiness to "help Lebanon in various fields" and added that "full cooperation will be established between the two nations after the formation of the government." Mikati emphasized the "particular significance" of the meeting, noting the presence of the Gulf Cooperation Council secretary-general and the recent visit of the Saudi Foreign Minister. He described the visit as a "step that contributes to re-establishing ties with the Lebanese state."
The Kuwaiti foreign minister later met with Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh. They discussed "the general situation in Lebanon and the region, highlighting the critical phase Lebanon is undergoing," stressing the need for the country to begin restoring its role, stability and prosperity, according to a press release from Ain al-Tineh.
The meeting also provided "an opportunity to reiterate the need for Israel to respect all provisions of the cease-fire agreement, implement Resolution 1701, and end its occupation of Lebanese territories, as Israeli forces remain present in the south of the country," the statement added.
At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that "since the cease-fire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the State of Lebanon, the phased withdrawal process will continue."