Syria’s new leader and Lebanon’s prime minister pledged to build lasting relations during the first visit by a Lebanese head of government to Damascus since the civil war began in 2011.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s visit came after Islamist-led rebels took control of Damascus last month, ending Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
Previous Lebanese administrations had refrained from visiting Syria due to internal tensions over Hezbollah’s support for Assad during the conflict.
Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, expressed hopes to start a new chapter in relations, days after Lebanon’s crisis finally resulted in the election of a president following two years of deadlock.
“There will be long-term strategic relations between us and Lebanon. We and Lebanon have great shared interests,” said Sharaa, emphasizing the importance of giving the Syrian and Lebanese people a chance to build a positive relationship. He expressed hopes that Joseph Aoun’s presidency would bring stability to Lebanon.
Sharaa also emphasized that the new Syria would remain neutral in Lebanon, aiming to solve issues through dialogue and negotiations.
Mikati agreed, stressing that ties should be based on “mutual respect, equality, and national sovereignty.”
The new Syrian leadership also stated that Sharaa had called President Aoun on Saturday to offer congratulations.
- Syrian Refugees –
Syria was the dominant power in Lebanon for three decades under the Assad family, with President Hafez al-Assad intervening in Lebanon’s civil war from 1975 to 1990. His son, Bashar al-Assad, withdrew Syrian troops from Lebanon in 2005 following protests triggered by the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.
After repairing relations with Damascus, Saad Hariri, the son of Rafic, was the last Lebanese prime minister to visit Syria in 2010 before the war.
Since taking office on Thursday, Aoun has vowed to seize the “historic opportunity” to initiate “serious dialogue with the Syrian state.”
With Hezbollah weakened after two months of full-scale conflict with Israel late last year and Assad now gone, both Syrian and Lebanese leaders seem eager to resolve long-standing issues.
A primary concern is the presence of over two million Syrian refugees in Lebanon since Syria’s war began. Mikati called their return to Syria an “urgent matter” for both nations, as Lebanon has struggled under the weight of the refugee crisis, compounded by an ongoing economic crisis.
Mikati also highlighted the need to establish and finalize Lebanon’s land and sea borders with Syria, suggesting the creation of a joint committee to address the matter. Syria had long resisted efforts to demarcate these borders.
Lebanon has expressed hopes of drawing its maritime border to begin offshore gas extraction, after a similar agreement was reached with Israel in 2022.
- ‘Smuggling’ –
Mikati and Sharaa also stressed the importance of controlling their shared borders, particularly focusing on illicit border points to combat smuggling.
Syria shares a 330-kilometre (205-mile) border with Lebanon, which lacks official demarcation at several points, making it vulnerable to smuggling.
Last week, Syria imposed new restrictions on the entry of Lebanese citizens following what Lebanon’s army described as a border skirmish with unidentified armed Syrians. Lebanese nationals had previously been allowed to enter Syria without a visa.
Foreign dignitaries have been visiting Damascus to meet with Syria’s new leaders, including a delegation from Oman earlier on Saturday. Unlike many Gulf states, Oman had maintained diplomatic ties with Assad throughout the war.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani visited Damascus on Friday, while France’s Jean-Noel Barrot and Germany’s Annalena Baerbock did so last week. Shaibani also visited Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Jordan this month, with plans to head to Europe soon.
Syria’s war, which began in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-Assad protests, has claimed more than half a million lives and devastated the country’s economy.
