Lebanon's Outlook on Sovereignty Disarmament &Peace A Discussion with Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi

For Lebanon, 2024 was dominated by the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, while 2025 has been highlighted by the election of a new president, the formation of a new government, the launch of a U.S.-led mechanism to support the army’s commitments on disarming nonstate militias, and the expansion of that process to include civilian representatives from Lebanon and Israel. In the wake of a moving visit by Pope Leo focused on the theme of peace, many are hoping that 2026 will be a year of historic breakthroughs. To discuss critical issues on Lebanon’s foreign policy agenda—including the disarmament process, the potential for peace, and the state of U.S.-Lebanon relations—The Washington Institute is pleased to announce a virtual Policy Forum discussion with H.E. Youssef Raggi, who has served since February as the republic’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants. A career member of the diplomatic corps since 1992, he previously led Lebanon’s missions in Jordan, Cote d’Ivoire, Morocco, and South Korea.