Lebanon’s Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati visited Syria for the first time after 15 years. In a joint press conference with Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Shara in Damascus on Saturday, he said the two countries will work together to determine land and sea boundaries and ensure border security.
Al-Sharar said that the meeting discussed border issues as well as smuggling between the two countries and Syrian money deposits in Lebanese banks. He expressed hope that long-term strategic relations will be established with neighboring Lebanon after the transition from the crisis situation.
He also said that Lebanon and Syria have many common interests. We must work together to protect these interests. Both sides have decided to form a committee to work on the matter.
Al Jazeera reporter Hamza Mohammad from Damascus said the two leaders promised to work to stop smuggling. The smuggling of weapons and drugs into Lebanon from Syria has long caused border problems. The Prime Minister of Lebanon gave special importance to this issue in the discussion.
Lebanon’s eastern border has long been known for smuggling. The unguarded state of the border in this region has become an advantage for smugglers.
Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed armed group in Lebanon, supported Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war. However, the group has recently been weakened by a war with Israel that killed its long-time leader and damaged its military capabilities.
Exploiting this weakness, Syrian rebels seized Damascus last month and ousted the government of President Bashar al-Assad. This initiative to rebuild the relationship between Lebanon and Syria in the new situation is significant for both countries.