Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam (right) and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa (left) in discussion on the sidelines of the Doha Diplomatic Forum, Dec. 6, 2025. Photo published on the X account of the Grand Serail.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Saturday with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the Doha Diplomatic Forum in Qatar. “The meeting focused on ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries and develop Lebanese-Syrian relations,” the Grand Serail wrote on its X account, which also published a photo of the encounter.
Speaking to journalists, Salam added: “There are many issues between Lebanon and Syria, and this is a new page being opened between us. We discussed how to strengthen cooperation between the two countries — not only regarding borders, combating smuggling, or the fate of Syrians in Lebanon, but also in the field of economic cooperation.”
He announced that a delegation representing Lebanon’s chambers of commerce and industry would soon travel to Syria.
The two leaders had already met in April, when the Lebanese prime minister visited Damascus at the head of an official delegation, beginning this new chapter in ties six months after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which had occupied Lebanon for more than two decades.
Outstanding issues between the two countries include the delimitation and control of land and maritime borders and the fight against smuggling. The return of Syrian refugees, and particularly the fate of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons, also remain central to any future normalization.
Qatar aid projects
The Doha Forum, which brings together representatives from 162 countries, is described by organizers as “a global dialogue platform bringing together leaders and policymakers to discuss the world’s major challenges.”
On the sidelines of the forum, Salam also met with Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. “Our brothers in Qatar have reaffirmed their unwavering political and economic support for Lebanon, with a new set of aid projects to be announced soon,” he wrote on X.
He added that he had conveyed Lebanon’s gratitude for Qatar’s support and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to reforms and to extending state authority—*“with its own forces”—*across the entire territory, “starting with the area south of the Litani,” where the Lebanese army continues its mission to disarm militias, including Hezbollah.
Kaja Kallas and Bill Gates
Salam also met with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, stressing the urgent need for support to the Lebanese army so it can continue its missions, especially with just over a year remaining before the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon expires. He highlighted the EU’s role in helping stop ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory, which persist daily despite the November 2024 cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Lebanese prime minister also met with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, whom he invited to visit Lebanon. According to the Grand Serail’s X account, the two agreed to speak again in January about the possibility of a visit to Beirut.
The situation in Gaza
Much of the diplomatic summit’s attention focused on Gaza, where the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is expected to enter its second phase. Qatar’s prime minister described negotiations over the enclave’s future as being at a “critical moment.”
“We still cannot consider that there is a cease-fire. A cease-fire can only be complete with the total withdrawal of Israeli forces and a return of stability to Gaza,” he said.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated Ankara’s call for a stabilization force in Gaza, “with the main goal of separating Israelis and Palestinians along the border.”
Israel continues attacks on southern Lebanon, demolishes buildings in Bint Jbeil