Commander-in-Chief of the Army Rodolph Haykal meeting with British Chief of Defence Staff Richard Knighton, on June 26, 2026, in the United Kingdom. (Credit: NNA)
Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal concluded on Saturday a two-day visit to the United Kingdom aimed at strengthening cooperation between the armies of the two countries and supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The army chief met in particular with his British counterpart, Chief of the Defense Staff Richard Knighton, and visited the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He also met with the British minister responsible for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, and National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell.
According to a statement from the UK embassy in Beirut, the talks focused on British support for the Lebanese army and security forces, as well as their deployment in southern Lebanon to enable a sustainable cease-fire.
Since 2009, the United Kingdom has allocated more than 180 million pounds (about $237 million) to the Lebanese Armed Forces through training, equipment, and military capacity-building programs.
