Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed Lebanon’s commitment to “continuing reforms and fully restoring state sovereignty,” stressing that reforms are essential to rebuilding international confidence in Lebanon and reviving its economy.

“We want to bring safety back to the Lebanese,” Salam said during his participation in a panel discussion at the World Government Summit.

He outlined several key positions:

• Sovereignty and reform are intertwined and represent essential needs to save Lebanon.
• Sovereignty means restoring the decision of war and peace and extending state authority over the entire territory, while reform includes both financial and administrative measures.
• “We have worked to regain the decision of peace and war, and for the first time since 1969, the state - through the army - has imposed full operational control over the south of the country.”
• “We will not allow Lebanon to enter into a new adventure, and the cost of supporting Gaza’s war was very high for Lebanon.”
  
  

In other remarks, Salam said:

• There are differences in working methods between him and President Joseph Aoun, but they share the same objective, alongside Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, of restoring the authority of the state.
• Renewing and activating the Lebanese administration helps Arab countries and expatriates feel secure, a key factor in encouraging investment.
• “Brotherly countries are required to support us, not replace us.”
• He expressed hope that Arab countries would participate in the Paris conference aimed at supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces, stressing Lebanon’s need for their backing.
  
  
  

Salam during the summit (Annahar).

Meetings on the sidelines of the summit
Alongside his participation in the summit, Salam held a series of meetings in Dubai, most notably with his Jordanian counterpart, Jaafar Hassan. The Jordanian side proposed an initiative to hold a tripartite Syrian-Lebanese-Jordanian meeting in Amman to discuss energy and electricity issues, a proposal Salam welcomed.

The two sides also agreed to organize a conference for Jordanian and Lebanese businessmen next April and discussed regional developments.

Salam also met with Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Al-Budaiwi, with discussions focusing on activating preparations for the Lebanese-Gulf Investment Forum.