ISTANBUL

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa met Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, which kicked off on Saturday.

In meeting with Nawaf, the two discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and develop bilateral relations between the two countries, the Lebanese National News Agency reported.

Sharaa attended the opening of the forum, being held under the theme “Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress,” the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported, without providing further details.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim later received Sharaa on the sidelines of the event, according to the Syrian presidency. The talks were held in the presence of Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

Qatar News Agency said the emir held separate meetings with the leaders of Syria, Somalia, Mauritania, Ghana and Lebanon to review ways of enhancing cooperation and discuss regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Meanwhile, the Syrian presidency said Sharaa also visited the headquarters of Al Jazeera network in the Qatari capital, where he met Director-General Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal Al Thani and staff members. He toured the network’s departments and was briefed on newsroom operations.

The two-day event brings together global leaders, including Sharaa, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, President and CEO of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates.

Anadolu is the event's global communications partner.

The last edition of the forum, held in December 2024 under the theme “The Innovation Imperative,” welcomed more than 5,000 attendees, including over 350 speakers.