Lebanon’s Ambassador to Canada: “It’s Time to Move from Aid to Investment”

Bachir Tawk tells Tawasul News that Canada-Lebanon ties have greater economic potential, calls for a permanent business council, and says rebuilding confidence in Lebanon requires reforms and tangible results

Interview by Tahani Elghazaly

Lebanon’s Ambassador to Canada, Bachir Tawk, says relations between the two countries have the human and political foundations needed to move into a new phase — one built not only on assistance, but on investment and long-term economic, academic and technological partnerships.

In an interview with Tawasul News examining the future of Canada-Lebanon relations, investment opportunities, the Lebanese diaspora and the concerns of younger generations, Tawk said one of his priorities is to help make bilateral relations “more institutional and effective,” arguing that the current level of cooperation remains below the potential of both countries.

Tawk said that when he arrived in Ottawa, his main priority was to strengthen mutual confidence between Lebanon and Canada and to emphasize that, despite the challenges Lebanon has faced, the country can remain a partner for cooperation and investment.

He also placed particular emphasis on maintaining strong ties with Canadian officials and the Lebanese community in Canada, which he described as a natural bridge between the two countries.

Cooperation remains below its potential

Tawk described political and people-to-people ties between Lebanon and Canada as strong and historically rooted, noting that Canada’s successful and influential Lebanese community gives the relationship an additional dimension.

But he added:

“I believe the actual level of cooperation remains below the available potential.”

The ambassador identified several areas where he sees room for expansion, including technology, the digital economy, higher education, renewable energy, modern agriculture and food industries.

He also called for stronger cooperation between universities and research centres and for a more structured effort to involve successful Lebanese professionals and entrepreneurs in Canada in joint projects connected to Lebanon.

What matters to Ottawa?

According to Tawk, Canadian attention toward Lebanon currently centres on the country’s stability, economic reforms, support for state institutions, humanitarian conditions, border security and regional developments.

At the same time, he said there needs to be a deeper understanding of the scale of the pressures Lebanon has faced in recent years as economic, financial, social and security crises converged.

Lebanon, he argued, should not be viewed solely through the lens of its difficulties, but also through the opportunities and capabilities it continues to possess.

Tawk characterized Canada’s approach to Lebanon as resting on three broad pillars: support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, support for state institutions — particularly the Lebanese Armed Forces — and encouragement of reforms aimed at strengthening stability and economic growth.

“International expectations can sometimes be very high”

Asked whether the international community sometimes expects Lebanon to deliver ambitious results without providing sufficient tools, Tawk acknowledged a gap can exist between international expectations and the resources available to the Lebanese state.

“Sometimes international expectations are very high compared with the level of resources available to the Lebanese state.”

He stressed that reforms remain necessary, but said their success also requires a supportive environment, investment and sustained international engagement.

Responsibility, he said, therefore falls on both sides: Lebanon must continue reforms and improve governance, while international partners need to accompany those efforts with practical tools capable of helping produce results.

From crisis management to a productive economy

When asked what Lebanon needs most from Canada and the wider international community, Tawk pointed first to support for stability and legitimate state institutions, alongside productive investment, job creation, capacity-building and the transfer of expertise and technology.

The objective, he said, should be:

“Helping Lebanon move from managing crises to building a productive and sustainable economy capable of creating real opportunities for its young people.”

That shift also informs his view that Lebanon’s relationship with international partners should evolve beyond the traditional model of assistance toward investment and economic partnership.

“I believe the time has indeed come to complement traditional support with a more ambitious path based on investment and economic partnership. Assistance remains important in some areas, but on its own it does not create sustainable growth.”

Tawk said greater cooperation could be developed between the private sectors of both countries in areas including innovation, energy, education, technology and trade.

Why invest in Lebanon?

Asked what he would tell a Canadian investor considering Lebanon today, Tawk pointed to what he sees as the country’s enduring strengths: its strategic location, highly skilled human capital, resilient private sector and extensive economic links with the region and the wider world.

He identified technology, the digital economy, renewable energy, specialized agriculture, food industries, tourism and professional services among sectors with investment potential.

But the ambassador also acknowledged the obstacles.

Investors, he said, need a stable, clear and predictable environment.

Economic and administrative reforms, confidence in the banking sector and the speed and efficiency of procedures all influence investment decisions.

Rebuilding confidence, he said, will require continued reform, stronger transparency and a more efficient and predictable business environment.

One project: a permanent Canada-Lebanon business council

When Tawasul asked Tawk to identify one economic initiative he would like to see achieved during his tenure, his answer was specific:

A permanent and active Canada-Lebanon business council.

The proposed body, he said, could bring together business leaders, investors and economic institutions from both countries and help move bilateral economic cooperation away from isolated initiatives toward a sustained institutional framework.

“Such a council could transform economic relations from scattered initiatives into a sustainable institutional partnership capable of generating real opportunities for investment, trade and cooperation.”

The proposal would also offer the Lebanese business community in Canada a potential framework for engagement that extends beyond individual initiatives and informal networking.

The diaspora: major capital that could be better organized

The role of Lebanese Canadians occupied a significant part of the interview.

Tawk described the community as possessing substantial human, intellectual and economic capital, but said stronger institutional mechanisms are needed to put those resources to use in a systematic way.

He suggested expert networks, mentoring programs for young people, specialized investment funds and academic and professional partnerships as possible mechanisms.

The goal, he said, is for diaspora engagement to become a continuous process rather than something activated mainly during crises or special occasions.

Addressing the loss of confidence felt by some Lebanese abroad toward institutions in their country of origin, Tawk did not dismiss those concerns.

“Their feelings are understandable and legitimate after the difficult experiences Lebanon has gone through.”

But he stressed that confidence cannot be restored through words alone.

It requires reforms, actions and tangible results, he said, while Lebanese communities abroad will continue to have an important role in recovery and rebuilding.

Second and third generations: nostalgia is not enough

The interview also addressed a challenge facing Lebanese communities across Canada: how to maintain meaningful ties between Lebanon and the second and third generations.

Tawk said younger generations relate to Lebanon differently from their parents and grandparents and that traditional emotional connections alone are no longer sufficient.

He called for investment in academic exchanges, youth programs, Arabic-language education, digital initiatives and organized visits to Lebanon, giving younger Lebanese Canadians opportunities to build their own relationship with the country.

Migration should not become the only option

On the continuing departure of young Lebanese, the ambassador drew a distinction between migration as a historic part of the Lebanese experience and migration becoming a necessity.

“The challenge is to ensure that migration does not become the only option for young people.”

Lebanon’s success, he said, should ultimately be measured by whether its citizens have a genuine choice — to remain, to return or to work abroad — rather than being forced to leave because opportunities are unavailable at home.

Asked what he would tell a young Lebanese person who sees no future in the country, Tawk said he understands the anxiety driving many young people, but argued that Lebanon still needs their knowledge, skills and creativity.

Building a future, he added, cannot be the responsibility of the state alone.

“Lebanon is not only its crises”

One perception Tawk said he wants to challenge abroad is the tendency to reduce Lebanon to its political and economic crises.

“What I seek most to correct is the reduction of Lebanon to its crises alone.”

Lebanon, he said, is also a country of innovation, education, culture, entrepreneurship and human creativity.

The achievements of Lebanese people in Canada and around the world, he argued, demonstrate the scale of the country’s human potential.

How will he measure the success of his mission?

Rather than measuring diplomacy by the number of meetings held, Tawk said he would judge progress by what remains after his posting ends.

He said establishing sustainable partnerships between Lebanese and Canadian institutions, strengthening Lebanon’s economic, cultural and academic presence and making bilateral relations more active would represent meaningful achievements.

“The real impact of any ambassador is not measured only by meetings, but by the initiatives that continue and remain alive after the mission ends.”

Tawk concluded the interview with a message to Lebanese Canadians, describing them as “a source of pride for Lebanon.”

He urged them to maintain their connection with Lebanon not only through nostalgia, but through partnership, responsibility and hope.

“You are a Lebanese and Canadian success story at the same time, and a genuine bridge between two countries linked by friendship, respect and a shared history.”