Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Lebanon hosts forum on Taif Agreement

The agreement, which ended the 15-year Lebanese civil war, was negotiated in Taif, Saudi Arabia in 1989

Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the Arab League Abdulrahman bin Saeed Al Jumah, right, and Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari arriving at an Arab League consultative meeting in east Beirut, Lebanon, in July 2022. AP PhotoShow less

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Lebanon Walid bin Abdullah Bukhari organised a forum at the Unesco Palace in Beirut on the 33rd anniversary of the conclusion of the Taif Agreement, which ended 15 years of civil war in Lebanon, under Arab and international sponsorship.

Saudi Arabia is one of the major contributors to maintaining the agreement.

Waleed Bukhari confirmed that there is no intention to amend the Taif Agreement and that it reflects the keenness of Saudi Arabia's leadership to preserve Lebanon’s security, unity, and national reconciliation.

“We desperately need to embody the formula of co-existence that was addressed by the Taif Agreement, especially with regard to the preservation of Lebanon’s identity and Arab belonging,” Mr Bukhari said.

The forum on Saturday was attended by 1,000 political, business and academic figures.

He added that the Arab League and the Tripartite Committee were eager, under the patronage of King Fahd, and having benefited from the efforts of the late Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, for the stability of Lebanon.

Hariri was killed by a massive car bomb in Beirut in 2005, an assassination found by the UN to have been committed by Lebanese militia group Hezbollah.

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the Taif agreement remains the most important document to implement and that the forum is proof that the kingdom stands with Lebanon.

Algerian envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, centre, during the Taif talks between Lebanese politicians, in September 1989. AFP

Algerian envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who played an important role in reaching the pact, also attended the forum.

He recalled Hariri and the late Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud Al Faisal as the “heroes” of the Taif Agreement.

“The Taif Agreement paved the way for the Lebanese to build their new state. We had pinned hopes on the tripartite committee that was formed to accompany the Taif implementation process, and this was the will of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz and other Arab leaders, but Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait halted the committee’s work,” Mr Brahimi said.