Budapest and Beirut are increasingly close: Hungary not only provides humanitarian aid through the Hungary Helps Program, but also security cooperation, with the Hungarian government contributing significant financial support to the Lebanese army. According to Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, ‘Lebanon’s stability is a key issue for the stability of the region’.
2025 brought severe changes in Lebanese politics. In January they managed to elect a new president after more than two years, and at the beginning of February a new government started to lead the country. Former president of the International Court of Justice Nawaf Salam is the new prime minister of Lebanon, who has set up a cabinet representing Christian and Muslim denominations equally. The new government prioritizes financial reforms, reconstruction, and the implementation of the UN resolution, which is considered a guarantor of stability along the border with Israel.
The new leadership of the Middle Eastern country gave Lebanon a chance to build stability. The Hungarian government, which has always been a promoter of peace in the region, welcomed the inauguration of the new president and government. After the new administration started its work, Hungary assured the Lebanese leadership of not just its humanitarian but also military assistance. Hungary, through the European Peace Facility, has provided 400 million forints to strengthen the Lebanese army, that is, the official state army, to be able to guarantee Lebanon’s security from the militias and thus achieve stability in the country. Péter Szijjártó elaborated on this decision, stating that although the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has improved the situation in the Middle East, maintaining this stability to achieve lasting peace in the region is crucial, and it is also essential in order to prevent new waves of migration.
‘Maintaining and strengthening Lebanon’s stability is one of the tools to prevent the start of new migration waves’
Hungary helped the Lebanese Christian community with six billion forints in aid over the past seven years. The security cooperation, which consisted of sixteen Hungarian soldiers serving in the Lebanese peacekeeping forces, is significantly changing now with the Hungarian aid of 400 million forints (approximately 991,500 euros) support to the Lebanese army through the European Peace Facility. ‘We are sending these funds to Lebanon through the European Peace Facility, and we are able to do this because we are not sending weapons to Ukraine, so we can transfer the money that would go there to other countries,’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó said concerning the military support.
‘Hungary is doing everything it can to support Lebanon’s stability, as it is a key issue for the peace of the entire Middle East. Along with Ukraine, the Middle East is currently the most volatile region in the world from a security perspective. The security situation in the Middle East has a significant impact on European security as well, which is why Hungary is particularly interested in ensuring peace, calm, and stability in the region. That is why we advocate for the development of relations between the European Union and Lebanon, as well as for the EU to provide financial support to Lebanon,’ Péter Szijjártó elaborated.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary has also urged the return of the 1.5–2 million Syrian refugees currently residing in Lebanon to their home country, as this number poses a significant burden on the small Middle Eastern state. This is important not just from Lebanon’s perspective but from that of Hungary and Europe as well, since according to Péter Szijjártó, ‘maintaining and strengthening Lebanon’s stability is one of the tools to prevent the start of new migration waves.’
The UN peacekeeping presence to ensure security in the Middle Eastern country is inevitable. According to the Szijjártó, the Orbán government contributed to this by having sent 16 Hungarian soldiers to serve in the operation in Lebanon, which the government does not intend to change.
The current Hungarian government has always emphasized the importance of peace in the Middle East and urged the international community to participte in ensuring it. Regarding the changes in Lebanon with the perspectives of achieving a more stable area, Péter Szijjártó highlighted the significance of the upcoming Association Council meeting between the European Union and Lebanon. In connection with this, the Hungarian government urges the acceptance of a larger financial support package for the reconstruction of Lebanon, which is estimated at around 12–15 billion dollars, to ensure the stability of the state’s functioning and the strengthening of the Lebanese army.
‘Hungary’s humanitarian and military aid to Lebanon can contribute to regional stability and also reflects Hungary’s broader geopolitical interests’
The visit of Samy Gemayel, leader of the Kataeb party in Lebanon, to Hungary at the end of February and his talks with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó show Hungary’s commitment to peace and stability in Lebanon. The Lebanese MP and the Hungarian leaders discussed the security and migration situation in the Middle East, the current state of economic relations between Lebanon and Hungary, and the activities of Hungary Helps in Lebanon.
Hungary’s humanitarian and military aid to Lebanon can contribute to regional stability and it also reflects Hungary’s broader geopolitical interests, that is, a stable Lebanon for the sake of the Middle East—and also for Europe, which faces potential security and migration challenges. According to Budapest, continued support for Lebanon’s reconstruction and the Lebanese army is a good way to stabilize and rebuild the Middle Eastern country.
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