This is Beirut

Baghdad Declaration Calls for Gaza Ceasefire and Reconstruction

This is Beirut, 17/05 17:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Arab League Baghdad Declaration Iraq Gaza

Arab leaders urged the international community Saturday to fund their plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip after U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated a proposal to take over the Palestinian territory. An Arab League summit in Baghdad said in its final statement that it urges "countries and international and regional financial institutions to provide ...

Salam at Arab Summit: Lebanon Turns a New Page

This is Beirut, 17/05 15:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon 34th Arab Summit Baghdad Iraq Israel

Lebanon has entered a new chapter in its history by restoring state sovereignty and recommitting to national reforms, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared Saturday at the 34th Arab League Summit in Baghdad, Iraq. “We meet today at a time when Lebanon has turned a new page in its history by restoring the state’s sovereignty over its entire ...

Arab Summit Host Iraq Pledges $40 Million for Lebanon and Gaza Reconstruction

This is Beirut, 17/05 14:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iraq Arab League Lebanon Gaza

Iraq Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, whose country is hosting the 34th Arab League summit, said Saturday it would provide $40 million for the reconstruction of Lebanon and Gaza after wars with Israel. Iraq backs the creation of an "Arab fund to support reconstruction efforts" after crises in the region, Sudani told Arab leaders in ...

Lebanese and Iraqi Prime Ministers Discuss Closer Ties Before Summit

This is Beirut, 16/05 22:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Iraq Arab Summit Nawaf Salam Energy

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met on Friday with his Iraqi counterpart, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, in Baghdad to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation ahead of the 34th Arab Summit. Talks focused on energy, economic ties, and cultural exchange, with both leaders emphasizing the need to strengthen Arab unity in the face of regional ...

Lebanon at the Baghdad Summit: A Message of Arab Reconnection

This is Beirut, 16/05 14:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Israel Saudi Arabia Lebanon Iraq Nawaf Salam Syria

On the eve of his departure for Baghdad to lead the Lebanese delegation at the Arab summit, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam issued a firm message outlining his government’s intentions to reestablish Lebanon’s standing in the region. “Lebanon intends to fully reconnect with its Arab environment and regain its place on the regional scene,” Salam ...

Lebanon and Iraq Deepen Energy Ties with Renewed Oil Agreement

This is Beirut, 06/05 18:27 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Iraq Central Bank Baghdad Energy Oil agreement

Lebanon and Iraq have renewed a key energy deal through which Baghdad will supply Beirut with two million tons of crude oil, now under new payment terms that reflect shifting regional dynamics. In a notable departure from past arrangements, Lebanon has agreed to settle its dues in US dollars via direct transfers from the Banque du Liban, ending ...

A Complicated Fuel Deal

Christiane Tager, 05/05 21:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Iraq dollars oil

It appears that the fuel partnership with Iraq is under strain – or even under high tension. Since July 2021, Iraq has been Lebanon’s main fuel supplier thanks to a $700 million contract, renewed in 2023, bringing the total to $1.4 billion. In return, Lebanon had committed to delivering Lebanese goods and services, particularly in the medical ...

Syria: Ethno-National Imbroglios and State Formation

Charles Chartouni, 05/05 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria Israel Turkey Iran Iraq

The recent clashes between the Syrian Druze community and the newly formed government in Damascus betray the inconsistencies of the current transition in Syria and its pitfalls. However positive the ongoing political evolutions in Syria are, they are still thwarted by major ideological and strategic hurdles that have prevented the actual ...

Iraqi Fuel: $1.4 Billion Debt to Be Settled

This is Beirut, 03/05 21:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Electricity Iraq Lebanon

Beirut-Baghdad, a partnership now under high tension! As Lebanon continues to face a chronic energy crisis, Finance and Energy Ministers Yassine Jaber and Joe Saddi embark on a joint visit to Iraq this Monday with the aim of salvaging the fuel oil supply agreement signed in 2021 – under which Baghdad supplies fuel to power Lebanese plants – ...

A Farewell in Faith: Qaraqosh Mourns the Pope

Rayan Chami, 25/04 14:40 - Reading : less than a minute

Pope Francis Iraq Christians

In Iraq’s Christian heartland, Easter Mass at al-Tahera Church became a poignant tribute to Pope Francis. Church bells echoed through Qaraqosh and Mosul, honoring the man whose 2021 visit brought solace after years of war and displacement. He is now mourned as a spiritual father by those he never forgot.

Iraq Farmers Turn to Groundwater to Boost Desert Wheat Yields

This is Beirut, 25/04 12:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iraq Desert agriculture Wheat Groundwater Drought

Farmer Hadi Saheb cannot wait to see his wheat fields flourish in the heart of the desert after he tapped into groundwater reserves in water-starved Iraq. He is just one of many Iraqis who have turned to drilling wells in the desert to help sustain the country's agriculture. It is a risky move that threatens to deplete the groundwater in a ...

Baghdad Divided Over Invitation of Syria's Interim President to Arab Summit

This is Beirut, 20/04 17:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iraq Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa

Several powerful pro-Iran Iraqi politicians have in recent days voiced opposition to a potential visit by Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Iraq for the upcoming Arab League summit. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said earlier this week that Baghdad has invited al-Sharaa to attend the summit, scheduled to take place in the ...

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