President Aoun from Washington: Shaping Lebanon's New Political and Economic Future

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's visit to Washington is a significant political milestone, described by him during his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House as a historic visit. It is indeed considered one of the pivotal visits that could contribute to shaping the future political and economic landscape of Lebanon. This visit holds particular importance as it is the first by a Lebanese president to the White House since President Michel Suleiman's visit in 2009. President Trump's interest in the Lebanese file has reportedly increased, according to observers, after the role played by Massaad Boulos, the father of Michael Boulos, Tiffany Trump's husband, whom Trump appointed as an advisor for Middle East and African affairs. Boulos had contributed to mobilizing the votes of the Arab community, especially in Michigan, during the last US presidential elections, and also conveyed to Trump a picture of the Lebanese reality through his extensive connections with members of the Lebanese community. During his election campaign, Trump pledged to help Lebanon restore stability. It appears that the primary goal of this visit is to follow up on the implementation of the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, foremost among them being the exclusive control of weapons by the Lebanese state and strengthening the army's authority over all Lebanese territories. The visit also carries multiple political, security, and economic files, most notably the endeavor to enhance the independence of Lebanese decision-making and limit any external influence affecting the state's sovereignty, which reflects on the political, economic, and security scene, in addition to working on repositioning Lebanon regionally and internationally. This coincides with efforts aimed at the success of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, which have witnessed significant complications since the outbreak of the October 7, 2023 war, Hezbollah's involvement in the confrontation in support of Hamas, and the launching of rockets from Lebanese territories towards Israel, which sparked wide controversy about the decision of war and peace and the role of the Lebanese state. The party's involvement also came within what was known as the "unity of fronts" axis, which includes Iranian-backed forces, among them the Houthi group in Yemen. Since then, the confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel has continued, amid Israeli military operations targeting the party's military infrastructure and leadership, most notably the "Pager" operation, in addition to the killing of the party's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. These developments reflected on the cohesion of the resistance axis and weakened the interconnectedness of its components. These developments coincide with the US military escalation towards Iran during President Trump's era, in parallel with the Lebanese President's visit to Washington. In a broader context, the region is witnessing rapid transformations extending to several regional files, including Iraq, where US movements intersect with efforts to support state institutions and confront Iranian-backed armed factions, in addition to efforts to combat corruption and enhance stability. The US move in Lebanon comes within a broader vision that aims, according to this proposal, to strengthen the sovereignty of states, empower their institutions, and open up to their Arab and international surroundings. From this perspective, President Aoun's visit is seen as an opportunity to open a new chapter in Lebanon's history, by addressing thorny issues, most notably the exclusive control of weapons by the state and strengthening the role of the Lebanese army as the sole authority authorized to protect the country. Lebanon has suffered for decades from civil wars, foreign interventions, and internal divisions, which weakened state institutions and negatively affected the economy, banking sector, and security and political conditions, coinciding with the spread of corruption and the squandering of public funds, which led to a decline in Lebanon's position as a prominent economic and financial center in the region. The question remains: Will Lebanon turn the page on the past with all its crises, and enter a new phase with President Aoun's visit to Washington? The entire region is undergoing a re-drawing of political balances, in light of an American vision based on reducing Iranian influence in a number of Middle Eastern countries, including Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon, while pushing towards building more independent states open to their regional and global surroundings. President Trump's policy in the Middle East, according to this perception, is based on replacing armed conflicts with investment projects and economic partnerships that promote development and stability, in parallel with consolidating security and peace, thereby achieving mutual interests between the United States and the countries of the region. From this perspective, it focuses on strengthening state sovereignty and restricting the use of force to official institutions in countries such as Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, while continuing military pressure on Iran. This phase is one of the most important for Lebanon, as it is linked to the state regaining its sovereign decision and strengthening its regional and international presence, in addition to implementing the framework agreement with Israel, and working to develop the capabilities of the Lebanese army and enable it to extend its authority over all Lebanese territories. On the economic front, the Lebanese President carries to Washington a very important file, which is the economic crisis that Lebanon is going through, and the need to attract foreign investments, and secure support for the reconstruction of areas damaged by the recent war, especially in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. President Trump had affirmed his support for the "New Lebanon" project, based on consolidating sovereignty and strengthening the economy through broad partnerships with the United States and countries around the world. He also seeks to push for the success of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, and the implementation of the framework agreement, in parallel with the deployment of the Lebanese army in a number of areas after the withdrawal of Israeli forces, including Zawtar al-Gharbiya and Srifa, as part of following up on the implementation of what was agreed upon during the Rome negotiations. During the meeting between the two presidents at the White House, Trump affirmed that Lebanon had been "treated very badly," and pledged that it would receive in the future "the respect it deserves." He also praised the Lebanese people, describing them as cultured and educated, who have provided the United States and the world with distinguished academics, doctors, lawyers, and competencies, stressing that the Lebanese have maintained their attachment to their homeland despite the crises and wars they have faced, and declaring his commitment to providing real support to help Lebanon overcome its crises. He also stressed that the issue of Hezbollah's weapons would be at the forefront of the issues he would work on with President Aoun, affirming that the world would notice the results that would be achieved in this regard. For his part, President Joseph Aoun expressed his thanks to President Trump, describing the visit as historic, and praising the common understandings achieved, especially regarding the framework agreement and efforts to end the state of hostility between Lebanon and Israel. He stressed that the time has come for Lebanon and the countries of the region to enjoy security and stability, noting that his vision intersects with President Trump's vision in achieving peace, while the latter in turn affirmed that their cooperation would aim to help Lebanon overcome its crises and achieve a more stable future. The hope remains that Lebanon will regain its historical position, and return as a beacon of culture and economy, and that Beirut will regain its presence as one of the most beautiful Arab capitals, based on the will of its people and its ability to rise again.