Foreign relations of Lebanon
The foreign policy of Lebanon reflects its geographic location, the composition of its population, and its reliance on commerce and trade. As'ad AbuKhalil argues that foreign intervention has been a mainstay of Lebanon's domestic politics throughout its history as a nation-state, with British, French and American influence predominating from the declaration of independence in 1943 until the 1956 Suez Crisis and 1958 Lebanon crisis. From then until the Lebanese Civil War, the country became an arena for struggle between players in the Cold War, including Egypt, the United States and the Soviet Union. During the Civil War regional powers in the Middle East strove for influence, including Syria, Saudi Arabia and Israel, with Syria gaining the upper hand at the tail end of the war. Until 2005, Lebanon's foreign policy had been heavily influenced by Syria, however beginning with the formation of Hezbollah in 1982, Iran had gradually grown to heavily influence Lebanon.
The framework for relations was first codified in May 1991, when Lebanon and Syria signed a treaty of mutual cooperation. This treaty came out of the Taif Agreement, which stipulated that "Lebanon is linked to Syria by distinctive ties deriving strength from kinship, history, and common interests." The Lebanese-Syria treaty calls for "coordination and cooperation between the two countries" that would serve the "interests of the two countries within the framework of sovereignty and independence of each." Numerous agreements on political, economic, and security. After Syria's military withdrawal in 2005, Lebanon's foreign policy charted a more independent course.
Economy
On 30 December 2025, Egypt and Lebanon signed a deal under which Lebanon will purchase natural gas from Egypt. The agreement is expected to help Lebanon meet its growing electricity needs. Nawaf Salam was quoted as saying that the agreement aims “to meet Lebanon’s needs for natural gas allocated for electricity generation.”Diplomatic relations
List of countries which Lebanon maintains diplomatic relations with:Bilateral relations
Americas
Asia
Europe
Lebanon concluded negotiations on an association agreement with the European Union in late 2001, and both sides initialed the accord in January 2002, the accord becoming known as the EU-Lebanon Association Agreement. The EU-Lebanon Action Plan from January 19, 2007, gave a new impetus to bilateral relations in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy.Lebanon is one of the main Mediterranean beneficiaries of community assistance and the EU through its various instruments is Lebanon's leading donor. Starting from 2007 financial support is channeled through the European Neighborhood Policy Instrument. A Lebanon Country Strategy Paper 2007–2013 and a National Indicative Program 2007–2010 have been adopted by the EU. The assistance provided was refocused after the Second Lebanon War to engage in real help for the government and the society in reconstruction and reform of the country.
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
 BulgariaOceania |