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L'Orient-Le Jour
a day ago
- Business
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Aoun in Bahrain, Rajji calls on Manama to reopen embassy in Lebanon
BEIRUT — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrived in Manama at 4 p.m. on Tuesday for an official two-day visit, at the invitation of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Upon his arrival, the Lebanese president expressed his happiness at being in Bahrain, emphasizing "the depth of the historical and fraternal ties that unite Lebanon and Bahrain." "This visit represents a valuable opportunity to strengthen the ties of cooperation between our two brotherly countries in different political, economic, and cultural fields," he declared, affirming that "Lebanon, which is proud of its relations with the Kingdom of Bahrain, greatly values its positions of support." Also on Tuesday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Rajji, who accompanied Aoun on the trip, called on Bahrain to reopen its embassy in Beirut, in an interview with the Bahraini daily "al-Ayyam." Most Gulf countries continue to ban their citizens from traveling to Lebanon, following a diplomatic crisis in 2021 between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia and its neighbors. "Lebanon is awaiting the reopening of the Kingdom of Bahrain's embassy and the appointment of an ambassador to relaunch diplomatic relations between the two countries," said the head of the Bustros Palace. "The fraternal relations between Lebanon and Bahrain have never been cut, and if they were, due to politics at some time, they continued to exist in the consciousness of both peoples, despite the difficulties that are now behind us. Lebanon has never abandoned its Arab environment or its relations with its Arab brothers, and will never forget how Bahrain and other Arab countries supported it during the crises it has gone through," he added. Several Gulf countries, including Bahrain, recalled their diplomats from Beirut in October 2021, in reaction to remarks by then-Information Minister Georges Cordahi criticizing the Saudi military intervention in Yemen. Since then, the Gulf monarchies had nearly severed their ties with Lebanon, suspending their imports from the country and banning their citizens from traveling there. Only the United Arab Emirates authorized their citizens to travel again to Lebanon from May 2025. The election Aoun and the appointment of Nawaf Salam as head of government marked a clear willingness by Beirut to reconnect with the Arab countries of the region. Returning to the Arab fold Joe Rajji also spoke about the Lebanese president's visit to Bahrain. "Lebanon has entered a new phase and is keen to preserve its relations with Bahrain (...) The State leader's visit to Manama therefore gains great importance, given that it moves away any issue that previously affected relations between the two countries. Lebanon rejects any plot against the sovereignty of Bahrain and is working to establish the best strategic partnerships with the kingdom," the foreign minister continued. "President Aoun's visit to Bahrain and his previous visits to other Arab countries show that Lebanon is truly concerned with returning to the Arab fold (...) Lebanon wants to strengthen its role in its Arab environment, according to the principle of non-interference in the affairs of other countries," Rajji emphasized. After his election, President Joseph Aoun carefully chose to travel to Riyadh last March for his very first official trip, before flying to Cairo. He also traveled to Qatar in April and Kuwait in May. 'The visits I am making to Gulf countries aim to restore ties between Lebanon and these states, and most importantly to rebuild trust between both sides,' the president stressed, adding that 'the Lebanese are expecting the arrival of their Bahraini brothers this summer.' The head of state, who is set to meet with the King of Bahrain tomorrow, also outlined to journalists the government's efforts to enhance security, combat smuggling, and reopen Gulf markets to Lebanese agricultural exports, affirming that land, sea, and air border crossings are now under secure control. In response to a question, he stated that 'the implementation of the decision to ensure a monopoly on arms — an irreversible move — is being carried out cautiously, to preserve Lebanon's unity and avoid any threat to civil peace.' He also accused Israel of 'never having respected the terms of U.N. Resolution 1701, whereas Lebanon fully applied it by deploying its army south of the Litani.' He further announced that 10,000 Lebanese troops would be deployed in the South by the end of the year. The cease-fire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which came into force on Nov. 27, called for the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. However, the Israeli army still occupies five positions on Lebanese soil, continues to conduct ground incursions, and carries out near-daily airstrikes. On the Lebanese side, the agreement called for the disarmament of Hezbollah, starting south of the Litani and extending nationwide, in line with UN Resolution 1701, which forms the basis of the truce. Hezbollah has rejected this demand. Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the past eight months have killed more than 270 people.
L'Orient-Le Jour
5 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Nearly 600 killed as fighting continues in Sweida; Israeli strikes kill two in south Lebanon: Everything you need to know this Friday
Want to get the Morning Brief by email? Click here to sign July 18, 2025Compiled by Abbas Mahfouz Some key things to watch today:10 a.m.: Foreign Minister Joe Rajji meets with French ambassador Hervé Magro Updates on the clashes in on efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza. Nearly 100 people killed in Gaza as list names over 58,000 victims since 2023: Since Gaza's Health Ministry published a list naming 58,380 people who were killed in Israeli attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7, 2023, on Wednesday, including more than 17,900 children, there have been more bombardments across the territory. Notably, they targeted a school-turned-shelter, aid queues and a church, killing 98 others, the public office reported yesterday. More than half the deceased identified by the Ministry were people over 60 years old, women and...
L'Orient-Le Jour
09-05-2025
- Business
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Series of Israeli strikes on Nabatieh area and first American elected new pope: Everything you need to know this Friday
Want to get the Morning Brief by email? Click here to sign May 9, 2025Some key things to watch today:10 a.m.: Finance Minister Yassine Jaber meets with the Economic, Social and Environmental Council over IMF talks.10:30 a.m.: Foreign Minister Joe Rajji meets with UNIFIL head Aroldo on efforts to broker a new cease-fire between Hamas and Israel to bring an end to the war in of Israeli airstrikes on Nabatieh kills two Hezbollah members: At least two people, identified as Hezbollah members, were killed and eight others injured in the wave of Israeli airstrikes that tore through Nabatieh yesterday afternoon, numbering at least 15 strikes in quick succession according to area residents' reports. The Israeli army claimed the strikes disabled part of a purported 'underground project' built by Hezbollah,...
L'Orient-Le Jour
06-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Rajji promises to solve issue of missing Lebanese in Syria
BEIRUT — Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joe Rajji, stressed on Tuesday that 'the file of the missing Lebanese in Syria is his priority and promised to 'do everything necessary" to solve this issue during a meeting met with a delegation from the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared, according to the state-run National News Agency. The delegation included the committee's acting president Ziad Ashour and members Widad Halwani, Carmen Abu Joudeh and Adib Nehme. Some of the victims of forced disappearance, have been missing since the civil war (1975-1990) while others disappeared in the years that followed. The fall of the former Syrian regime in Dec.2024 raised their families' hopes of finally finding them — whether dead or alive. The delegation briefed Raji on the work of the commission and the challenges it faces, emphasizing their need for the support of the government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant ministers to enable the commission to exercise its tasks in uncovering the fate of the missing Lebanese in Syria and Lebanon, whose number is still not final and needs to be verified. The delegation members pointed out the importance of separating this humanitarian file from politics and demanded that 'the Commission be represented in the Lebanese Syrian joint committee to be formed, which will follow up on all pending files between the two countries.' For his part, Rajji said that he will work to "remove any diplomatic or political obstacle that may stand in the way of this file.' He told the delegation that he was preparing a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Ahmad al-Shibani to hand him the file, which is being prepared by the Ministry of Justice, noting that the Syrian side has expressed every willingness to help clarify the fate of the missing Lebanese.
L'Orient-Le Jour
03-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Rajji: Lebanon demands exclusive state control of weapons
The state monopoly on arms "is a demand of the Lebanese people and it serves their interests," said Foreign Minister Joe Rajji in an interview with the Saudi newspaper Okaz, published Friday. "Lebanon is working to extend its sovereignty over the entire territory and to eliminate any armed organization outside the control of the state," he assured. The minister continued: "It is no longer possible to tolerate the existence of any party outside the framework of the legitimate state, engaged in military or security actions [on their own]. This applies to all organizations, groups, cells, etc., Lebanese or otherwise. The presence of weapons in the [Palestinian] camps cannot be justified by resistance to Israel or the liberation of Jerusalem." The Lebanese foreign minister refers to the thorny issue of disarming Hezbollah and the state monopoly on arms, which has become pressing since the last war with Israel (2023-2024). The disarmament does not only concern Hezbollah but also extends to the much older issue of weapons in Palestinian camps, also been beyond the control of the Lebanese state for decades. However, in his remarks, Rajji acknowledged that there are differences between Palestinian weapons in the camps and those of Hezbollah. "Lebanon supports all Arab causes, notably the right of Palestinians to return home, but they are refugees on Lebanese territory and this does not give them the right to bear arms and interfere in Lebanese affairs," he stressed, emphasizing that "we will not allow the events of 1975 to reoccur," referring to the start of the Lebanese Civil War. This long 15-year conflict began following incidents between Palestinian factions and Lebanese parties. Still on the Palestinian question, Rajji confirmed that there is an agreement with the Palestinian Authority (PA, Fateh) on the monopoly of arms, but the problem remains with Hamas. "We discover networks linked to this party every now and then, with elements recently arrested for launching rockets on Israel from Lebanon," he said. However, he placed the "unconditional" withdrawal of Israelis from positions their army still occupies on the territory, as well as the delimitation of borders with the two neighbors and the return of Syrian refugees to their country, as absolute Lebanese priorities. "Peace and serenity" in the Syrian presidential palace The minister was asked about the relationship between the local government and the new regime in Damascus. He insisted on the respect of the sovereignty of the two countries and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, emphasizing the importance of internal Syrian stability. On a more personal level, he affirmed having felt "peace and serenity" upon entering the Syrian presidential palace, considering that "Lebanon has been relieved of a great burden," in reference to the fallen regime of Bashar al-Assad (overthrown in December 2024), while advocating "pragmatic relations with the Syrian neighbor." The foreign minister had accompanied Prime Minister Nawaf Salam during his visit to Damascus on April 15. Concerning the relationship with the Gulf countries, very disrupted during the previous mandate, Rajji emphasized that "some mistakes" were made, but that a "new stage is opening with the new mandate, which has been felt by Saudi authorities." President Joseph Aoun has already visited Saudi Arabia in March, Qatar in April, and has just completed a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He addressed the question of restoring relations between Lebanon and the Gulf monarchies in all these visits. Lebanon's foreign relations with many Gulf countries deteriorated following hostile statements, among other things, from figures in the March 8 camp in Lebanon, which includes Hezbollah. During the interview, Rajji paid tribute to Saudi Arabia "which has always stood by Lebanon" and whose role "is essential for the stability of Lebanon and the region." Boulos: A principle enshrined by the cease-fire agreement The state monopoly on arms, and consequently the disarmament of Lebanese and Palestinian militias, was also enshrined by the cease-fire agreement that entered into force in November 2024, which ended the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This was stated on Friday by Massaad Boulos, advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump on Middle East affairs, in an interview with the Qatari pan-Arab channel al-Jazeera. "The importance of this cease-fire agreement between Lebanon and Israel lies in the fact that it enshrined the principle of state monopoly on arms and paved the way for the Lebanese army to conduct its operations across the territory, and not just south of the Litani," he assured. The cease-fire agreement is based on the content of U.N. resolution 1701, which ended a previous conflict, that of 2006. The question of whether Hezbollah's disarmament and the dismantling of its military infrastructure should be limited to south of the Litani or extend to the entire territory divides Lebanese authorities and the international community on the one hand, who lean towards the latter explanation, and Hezbollah on the other, which defends the former. For the international community, the text is clear and stipulates a straightforward disarmament of the party's armed wing.
