BEIRUT – The Lebanese-Syrian Investment Forum 2026 was held in Beirut on Wednesday, bringing together officials, business leaders and investors from both countries to discuss opportunities to strengthen economic and investment cooperation across several sectors, including energy, agriculture, infrastructure, reconstruction, transport and technology.
Held under the patronage of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the forum brought together government officials and private-sector representatives from Lebanon and Syria. Discussions focused on the two countries’ role in the Middle East’s evolving economic landscape, investment financing and rebuilding confidence, reconstruction and sustainable development, as well as transport, ports, investment and access to regional markets.
Minister Bissat: Opportunity to Establish Clearer and More Balanced Relations
Speaking at the forum on behalf of the president, Lebanese Economy and Trade Minister Amer Bissat said Lebanon and Syria have an opportunity to establish new relations that are “clearer and more balanced,” calling for a shift “from intentions to institutions, and then to implementation.”
Minister Bissat said the two countries' relationship is shaped by extensive ties and shared experiences, stressing the importance of turning their shared geography from “an imposed reality into an opportunity.”
He outlined three tracks for strengthening economic cooperation between Lebanon and Syria: an institutional track involving business councils, ministerial coordination and agreements under consideration; a private-sector track focused on connecting companies in sectors of mutual interest; and a logistics track aimed at addressing procedural, technical and logistical obstacles.
Minister Al-Shaar: Integration Does Not Mean Giving Up Each Country’s Strengths
Syrian Economy and Industry Minister Mohammad Nidal Al-Shaar said that “integration between the two countries does not mean that either country gives up its strengths,” adding that “an economically stable Lebanon is also in Syria’s interest.”
Minister Al-Shaar said the two countries do not need to rediscover one another, but rather redefine their economic relationship on clearer and more balanced foundations, while respecting the sovereignty, independent decision-making and national interests of both countries.
“We have an opportunity to make the economy a space for shared interests and stability between Lebanon and Syria,” he said.
Meanwhile, Syria’s chargé d’affaires in Lebanon, Iyad Al-Hazzaa, said the meeting aims to build bridges around shared interests and move from “a geography of proximity to a geography of partnership.”
Al-Hazzaa said investment partnerships between the two countries could contribute to strengthening economic cooperation, highlighting the importance of integrating Lebanon’s service and logistical capabilities with Syria’s economic potential.
The forum is exploring opportunities for cooperation between the private sectors of both countries, alongside investment opportunities in infrastructure, technology, energy and agriculture. Sectoral meetings also cover healthcare, pharmaceutical industries, tourism and hospitality, startups, banking, insurance and financial technology.
The forum comes as Lebanon and Syria explore ways to develop their economic relations, with a focus on strengthening investment partnerships and addressing challenges related to transport, procedures, logistics and trade flows between the two countries.
