President Nawaf Salam, Lebanon's Prime Minister, visited the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States on 2 November, heading a high-level delegation as part of his official visit to Cairo.
During the meeting between President Salam and his accompanying delegation and the Secretary-General, the two sides reviewed recent developments on the Lebanese and regional arenas, particularly the Lebanese government’s endeavours to restore state sovereignty, place all arms under the authority of the Lebanese army, and advance ongoing financial and administrative reforms.
President Salam also addressed the permanent representatives of member states, affirming the imperative of revitalising and strengthening the project of joint Arab integration and transforming the League of Arab States from a symbol of Arab unity into a strategic mechanism capable of confronting the challenges of the modern era and contributing effectively to international decision-making.
President Salam asserted that the League of Arab States, the oldest international organisation established in the aftermath of World War II, embodies the institutional memory of the Arab world and reflects its collective will to shape the future through unified action. He noted that the evolving global landscape—and with it the changing roles of regional organisations—necessitates that the League of Arab States and its member states become a genuine incubator of Arab integration across the domains of security, economy, knowledge, technology, and sustainable development.
In his address, President Salam also touched upon the Palestinian question, reaffirming that it remains at the heart of Arab conscience and the central cause of the Arab nation. He called for concerted efforts to end the Israeli occupation, reject displacement and resettlement, and underscored the importance of supporting UNRWA as a cornerstone of stability and justice.
At the regional level, he called for a holistic approach that transcends the military dimension to encompass food, water, cyber, and environmental security, highlighting the need to adopt water diplomacy as a fundamental pillar of Arab national security.
With regard to Lebanon, President Salam outlined the course of reform and sovereignty being pursued by the state. He reiterated Lebanon’s adherence to the Taif Agreement and UN Security Council Resolution 1701, as well as its efforts to restore sovereignty, end Israeli violations, and uphold a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations. He reaffirmed Lebanon’s rejection of any external interference in its domestic affairs while stressing its commitment to building strategic relations with Arab states.
President Salam concluded his remarks by asserting that the Arab world’s challenge lies not in the scarcity of resources, but in the absence of a unified will. He called for transforming challenges into opportunities and fostering sustainable partnerships through the activation of existing Arab institutions and their alignment with strategic projects. He affirmed that shared Arab interests represent the pathway to a comprehensive Arab renaissance capable of restoring the Arab world’s historic and civilisational role.
At the conclusion of the visit, the Secretary-General accompanied President Salam and his delegation on a tour of the Museum Exhibition organised by the General Secretariat to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the League of Arab States.
