Najib Mikati in Damascus for first high-level visit since 2011

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati arrived in Damascus on Saturday for his first official visit since an Islamist-led coalition took power in Syria, AFP reported.

According to Mikati’s press office, the visit was made in response to an invitation from Syria’s new leader Ahmad al-Sharaa. It also marks the first trip by a Lebanese head of government to Syria since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011.

The visit comes as both neighboring countries seek to improve relations following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8.

The trip follows years of strained ties between Lebanon and Syria due to Hezbollah’s support for Assad. The Iran-backed group provided crucial military backing to the former Syrian leader during the civil war, which began after Assad’s regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests.

Syria was a dominant political and military force in Lebanon for three decades, intervening during the Lebanese civil war from 1975 to 1990. The Syrian regime has been blamed for numerous political assassinations in Lebanon, including the 2005 killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which led to Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon under international pressure.

Syria’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has pledged that his country will no longer interfere negatively in Lebanon and will respect its neighbor’s sovereignty.

Hezbollah has been weakened by more than a year of conflict with Israel, including two months of open warfare that ended with a cease-fire on Nov. 27. On Thursday, Lebanon’s Parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun as president, ending more than two years of presidential vacancy, which critics had attributed to Hezbollah’s political influence.