Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun visits Bahrain as Gulf diplomatic reset continues
Mr Aoun, accompanied by Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, is expected to meet King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral co-operation, particularly in political, economic and cultural sectors, the Lebanese presidency said.
On arrival, Mr Aoun said he was looking forward to 'productive meetings' with the Bahraini leadership to explore avenues for bilateral collaboration, and to exchange views on regional and international development.
' Lebanon values its rooted ties with Bahrain … and we are working together in a spirit that serves the interests of our peoples amid the region's complex challenges,' he said.
Since taking office in January, Mr Aoun has placed rebuilding Lebanon's relationships with Gulf countries at the centre of his foreign policy agenda. The former army chief, elected after more than two years of a presidential vacuum, wasted no time in launching a diplomatic charm offensive. His first overseas trip was to Saudi Arabia. He has also visited the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait.
Mr Rajji called on the country to reopen its embassy in Beirut, in an interview with Bahraini daily newspaper Al Ayyam, after Bahrain's ambassador to Lebanon Wahid Mubarak Sayyar had said it was preparing to do so and that work was under way to appoint a resident ambassador.
Bahrain was among several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, that withdrew their ambassadors from Beirut in October 2021 following remarks by then information minister George Kordahi, who criticised the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen.
His comments triggered a diplomatic crisis, reflecting deeper Gulf concerns over Iran's growing influence in Lebanon through Hezbollah, the powerful Shiite movement that wields military and political power.
Relations remained strained for years. But Gulf engagement has gradually resumed in the aftermath of the war between Hezbollah and Israel, which concluded in November. The Iran-backed group was severely weakened by the war. Israel's military campaign destroyed much of Hezbollah's infrastructure, infiltrated its security network and eliminated the group's leader and senior commanders.
Lebanon now is under international pressure to disarm Hezbollah. The US ties reconstruction aid and a halt to Israeli army operations to the group's full disarmament around the country.
Battered by war and economic collapse, the country is in urgent need of Arab and international support to begin reconstruction and revive its shattered economy.
As part of the broader thaw, the UAE and Kuwait lifted travel bans on Lebanon, allowing their citizens to return after years of absence.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon have agreed to examine obstacles preventing the resumption of Lebanese exports to the kingdom and are exploring the possibility of restoring travel access for Saudi citizen to Beirut.
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