Dr. Joseph Bahout, Former Minister Nassif Hitti, and Ambassador Caroline Ziade at the Issam Fares Center Podium, American University of Beirut
By Marlene Khalife,
Masdar Diplomacy
The Department of Regional and International Affairs at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut (AUB) organized an extensive roundtable titled “Lebanon’s Foreign Policy: Challenges and Recommendations” in the Basil Antoine Magrdesh Conference Hall on the AUB campus. The event brought together leading Lebanese, Arab, and Western diplomatic figures to reassess Lebanon’s foreign policy amid regional and international transformations and explore ways to strengthen its sovereignty and resilience against external interference through positive neutrality and proactive diplomacy, while offering practical recommendations for reforming Lebanon’s diplomatic apparatus.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants and Issam Fares Institute Fellow, Nassif Hitti, participated alongside Lebanon’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Caroline Ziade. The session was moderated by the Director of the Issam Fares Institute, Joseph Bahout, and featured a policy paper presentation by Yegia Tashjian, Coordinator of the Institute’s Department of Regional and International Affairs.
Opening Remarks by Joseph Bahout
Dr. Bahout opened the discussion by emphasizing the practical dimension of diplomacy:
“The diplomatic apparatus involves a set of laws, structures, and men and women who will implement them with specific skills, talents, and instructions. Therefore, our approach with this research aimed to provide a practical political orientation so that Lebanese diplomacy, we hope, can translate these ideas into restructuring its own apparatus.”
Policy Paper Presentation
Yegia Tashjian presented the key points of the policy paper, highlighting the need to redefine Lebanon’s foreign policy amid regional and global shifts:
“Our diplomacy has long reflected the turbulence of our domestic politics more than the strength of our national vision. Today, as the world and our region undergo profound transformations, Lebanon must discover its voice, balance, and strategic purpose. Our policy paper, ‘Challenges and Recommendations for Lebanon’s Foreign Policy,’ aims to redefine Lebanon’s foreign policy in this changing environment.”
The paper focuses on:
- Determining whether Lebanon has foreign policy doctrines that can be applied.
- Assessing the impact of internal divisions and polarization on foreign policy analysis.
- Highlighting the importance of adopting positive neutrality and proactive diplomacy to navigate long-standing regional conflicts.
- Offering recommendations for reforming the diplomatic apparatus and repositioning Lebanon on the regional and international diplomatic map.
Positive Neutrality and Proactive Diplomacy
Tashjian emphasized that positive neutrality does not mean isolation but maintaining a balanced position toward neighboring and friendly states while avoiding entanglement in conflicts that could threaten Lebanon:
“If Lebanon has the right not to make peace alone, it also has the right not to make war alone. Positive neutrality, or political neutrality, means maintaining friendly and comfortable relations with neighboring states while avoiding involvement in conflicts between them.”
He stressed the importance of proactive diplomacy:
“Engaging in proactive diplomacy means that the state must exercise preventive foreign policy-making rather than reacting to surrounding conflicts. However, such capacity also requires an institutional framework.”
To achieve foreign policy objectives, Tashjian highlighted the need for reforming Lebanon’s diplomatic apparatus:
- Adopting public diplomacy to promote national interests globally.
- Leveraging soft power and engaging with globalization.
- Strengthening relations with the Lebanese diaspora.
- Establishing a diplomatic academy to train skilled personnel.
- Preparing international mediators to address regional and global tensions.
“Foreign policy is not merely about states, borders, or political theories; it is about vision and survival. Lebanon may be small and complex at times, but history shows that small states can wield great diplomacy when guided by clear principles.”
Remarks by Former Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti
Hitti emphasized linking foreign policy to diplomacy:
“Diplomacy without foreign policy is like music without instruments. Without vision, what is your doctrine in foreign policy? What are you offering the world? What is the idea you promote? What priorities should you define?”
He highlighted the importance of geography and political divisions in understanding Lebanon’s strategic position:
“We learned in the first year of political science that geography is fundamental. You must consider your geography; you do not live in a vacuum. This is the first consideration.”
Hitti also stressed the need for practical national consensus:
“We must develop practical national agreement—a shared mechanism—rather than merely talking about principles. Operational rules must be established: how to manage this or that, and what to do in each case.”
He explained positive neutrality as a dynamic strategy for maintaining stability:
“The first time I spoke of positive neutrality was in 2009 in London during a conference organized by the Lebanese Studies Center at Oxford University. Positive neutrality is not neutrality among friends or strong allies; it is about maintaining balance despite existing problems. That is the essence of positive neutrality.”
He underlined the importance of proactive foreign policy:
“Like a firefighter, it is in your interest to be the one building bridges and facilitating dialogue, because your security, stability, and development become a collective benefit.”
Hitti concluded by stressing clear rules for state relations and the role of public diplomacy:
“We must establish a natural system of relations, not granting or withdrawing legitimacy to a government just because it does not behave as we wish. Public diplomacy opens doors for official diplomacy, reinforces decisions, and works in parallel, whether economic or cultural. In today’s global village, communication cannot be limited to officials only.”
Remarks by Ambassador Caroline Ziade
Ambassador Ziade emphasized national interest as the foundation of Lebanese foreign policy:
“There is no diplomacy, foreign policy, or national priorities without national interest. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, national interest is rooted in the constitution… The latest ministerial statement clearly reflects the priorities set by the President: Lebanon will not be used as a platform to attack any friendly or Arab country. These are our guiding principles and our national interest, which we implement daily in our missions and embassies around the world.”
Ziade outlined Lebanon’s practical diplomatic experience, referencing Lebanon’s tenure on the UN Security Council in 2010–2011 and the application of the principle of non-alignment:
“The beginning of the policy of non-alignment included support for and protection of state sovereignty—control over borders, strengthening institutions, and enhancing the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces. Secondly, non-intervention: we cannot allow any party to interfere in our affairs, nor are we expected to intervene in the affairs of others.”
She highlighted early warning diplomacy, public diplomacy, and network-building with NGOs and academia:
“Diplomats are not meant to sit in their offices; they must build networks beyond their diplomatic counterparts, engaging with NGOs, multiple stakeholders, and academic circles. That is why we responded to this invitation to express clearly what we do as practitioners.”
Ziade emphasized the international recognition of Lebanon’s diplomatic role and its potential for mediation:
“You can see how Lebanon’s role is perceived by our interlocutors. They come to work with us to bridge gaps and connect groups… We are trained diplomats in connecting people and mediating, as this is what we do in complex societies like Lebanon.”
She concluded by calling for clear doctrines and institutional guidance to translate foreign policy into practical action, including public diplomacy and communication strategies during both peacetime and crises.
Closing Discussion
Joseph Bahout highlighted the challenges of sustaining Lebanese foreign policy positions, given the volatile regional and domestic environment:
“Historically, these positions do not last. Firstly, because the regional environment is very volatile and rapidly changing. Secondly, because internal Lebanese divisions are often stronger than the prior consensus among political forces, which quickly betray it.”
Hitti stressed the need for actionable policies:
“We need to be proactive, not merely reactive. We must develop real common interests and define our foreign policy priorities to guide our diplomats clearly.”
He cited practical examples, including Lebanon’s stance on the Israel conflict and adherence to the 1949 Armistice Agreement and the Arab League’s 2002 summit for comprehensive peace, as foundations for policy development.
Ambassador Ziade summarized four main foreign policy challenges:
- Restoring the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a central hub for public diplomacy.
- Human and financial resources for effective diplomatic engagement.
- Unified messaging and reporting to guide Lebanese diaspora communities worldwide.
- Regional engagement to reactivate Lebanon’s role in a turbulent environment.
Ziade also highlighted Lebanon’s potential as a regional mediator, drawing on historical examples from Oman, Qatar, and Iraq, and outlined how these capacities can be translated into concrete action:
“Lebanon has the qualifications: its diversity and rich relational history, though it has not been highly active. It can play a mediation role if recognized as capable and willing… We need to inject more energy into the state itself and into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ vision of Lebanon’s role.”
Bahout commended the open discussion, stressing the importance of translating ideas and recommendations into practical strategies, enabling Lebanon to actively shape foreign policy rather than merely react to regional and global changes.
