By Sune Engel Rasmussen and Nazih Osseiran – WSJ – BEIRUT—A high-level Lebanese delegation, faced with a tense border with Syria and financial strains at home, is setting off on a three-city European tour to solicit aid from allies who see Lebanon as a bulwark for stability in a volatile region. At a 40-nation donor conference in Rome on Thursday, Lebanon will seek to bolster its security forces with fresh pledges of support and aid. The delegation, led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri and including his top security chiefs, aims to strengthen ties with foreign governments that want to counterbalance the growing Iranian presence in the country. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and European Union foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini will lead the donor side. At a conference in Paris in April, Lebanese officials are expected to seek $17 billion in economic support for Beirut, likely in the form of soft loans to invest in infrastructure and development. The tiny Mediterranean nation has been reeling from an influx of Syrian war refugees, while political infighting has paralyzed economic decision making. At 148%, Lebanon’s debt-to-GDP ratio is the third-highest in the world, with annual growth projected at around 2% for 2018.

Later in April, at a European Union-hosted conference in Brussels to support Syria, Lebanon will ask for further financial assistance to manage the 1.5 million Syrians it says have entered Lebanon to escape the seven-year war at home. Lebanese officials estimate that the refugee crisis has cost the country billion of dollars. Western diplomats say large amounts of aid are needed to shore up Lebanon’s government and finances at a time when Hezbollah, the homegrown Shiite paramilitary and political group, has assumed an increasingly powerful role in the country. Backing away now would risk empowering the Iran-backed group, they say. “We’re committed to a strong, safe and stable Lebanon,” said U.K. Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter in an email. “That means strong state institutions.” Boosted by its role in propping up the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s war, Hezbollah has emerged as a powerful regional force. It has, in turn, wielded that clout across Lebanon. In some parts of the country, the group’s parallel security apparatus rivals the national security forces. Both defend Lebanon’s borders against extremist groups like Islamic State.

Although Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. for attacks inside and outside Lebanon, it has assumed a leading role in the country’s politics. It’s part of the ruling government coalition and has influenced the choice of the president and prime minister. Lebanon’s military has sought to distance itself from Hezbollah, but has also fought alongside it. On the eastern border last year, Hezbollah together with the Lebanese army beat back militants affiliated with Islamic State and al Qaeda. The army has denied any direct coordination with Hezbollah, and officials from the group declined to answer questions about the group’s role in Lebanon. The armed forces have drawn significant Western support. The U.S. supplies them with everything from fighting vehicles and Cessna aircraft to rifles and ammunition. A contingent of U.S. Special Forces also trains and advises the Lebanese armed forces. In December, the U.S. pledged an additional $120 million for the army to conduct border security and counterterrorism operations, bringing the total U.S. contribution to Lebanon to more than $1.5 billion in the past decade. Aside from security, Lebanon’s struggling economy is also a cause for concern. Both are linked to the country’s stability, said Rami Khouri, professor and public policy fellow at American University of Beirut. He pointed to pervasive corruption and mounting debt as urgent problems the government needed to tackle. “We should expect a lot of international support. But will people focus on supporting the armed forces alongside making reforms in Lebanon so that its economy remains stable? These questions are linked,” he said. Write to Sune Engel Rasmussen at sune.rasmussen@wsj.com