Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited Damascus on Monday, where he met with the new Syrian leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, in the presence of Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Rajji, Defense Minister Michel Menassa, and Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar, to discuss the renewed relations between the two neighboring countries. The visit began with an expanded meeting between the Syrian and Lebanese delegations, followed by an official lunch, and then a private meeting between Sharaa and Salam, which lasted more than 30 minutes.

"My visit to Damascus today aims to open a new page in the course of relations between the two countries, based on mutual respect, the restoration of trust, good neighborliness, the preservation of the sovereignty of our two states, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs," Salam wrote on his X account after the meeting.

The press office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs reported in a statement that the discussions were "positive and constructive."

This is the first visit by members of the new Lebanese government, formed in February, to Damascus, where an Islamist coalition seized power in December, ending five decades of Assad rule. In January, Salam's predecessor, Najib Mikati, traveled to Syria to meet with Sharaa, who promised that his country would no longer exert "a negative influence" in Lebanon. Syria, under the Assads, had exercised tutelage over Lebanon for decades and has been blamed for the assassinations of numerous Lebanese officials.

'Achieving border demarcation'

Regarding the expected issue of demarcating the border between the two countries, which is 330 km long and porous, making it conducive to smuggling, Salam explained that he discussed "the objective of achieving the demarcation of land and maritime borders, a process initiated during the meeting in Jeddah between the defense ministers of the two countries, under the appreciated patronage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

On March 28, the Lebanese and Syrian defense ministers reached an agreement in principle in Saudi Arabia to secure their shared border, where clashes left ten dead in mid-March.

'The safe and dignified return of Syrian refugees'

"There was also talk of facilitating the safe and dignified return of Syrian refugees to their lands and homes, with the help of the United Nations, as well as brotherly and friendly countries," the Prime Minister said. Lebanon hosts 1.5 million people who fled the civil war that erupted in Syria in 2011, according to official estimates. According to L'Orient Today's information, a ministerial committee is expected to be formed to address this issue, and Lebanon, which has already established a committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, developed a rapidly executable plan to ensure the return of 400,000 Syrians.

As expected, Salam "addressed the fate of the Lebanese missing and detained in Syria." He specified that he had requested "the Syrian authorities to assist in the extradition of those wanted by the Lebanese justice system, particularly in the case of the attacks against the al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in Tripoli, that of the man convicted of the assassination of President Bashir Gemayel, as well as in other crimes attributed to the Assad regime," also specifying in the statement that he had "discussed the case of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons."

On the economic front, Salam reported a dialogue on "the opening of commercial and transit lines, oil and gas supplies, as well as the state of civil aviation lines."

Renewed diplomacy

Salam also reported discussions on "the issue of agreements between the two countries, which should be reviewed, including the one relating to the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council." In recent decades, the two countries have not had the opportunity to resolve their differences through genuine diplomacy. During the years of Syrian tutelage (1990-2005), the latter controlled Lebanese politics through the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Cooperation Council.

An agreement was also reached for the formation of a ministerial committee composed of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Interior and Justice, "responsible for monitoring all issues of common interest," while other issues will be further investigated by the Ministries of Economy, Public Works and Transport, Social Affairs and Energy, according to the Grand Serail press office.

The Grand Serail press office underscored the emphasis placed in the discussions on "the importance of preserving the unity of Syria and lifting the sanctions that affect it, to allow the revival of the Syrian economy, to open the way to investments and reconstruction, which would also benefit Lebanon, particularly concerning the return of refugees, the facilitation of Lebanese exports by land, and energy supplies."

This visit is expected to pave the way for further visits by Lebanese ministers to Syria to discuss common issues. Salam invited Sharaa and Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad Hassan al-Shibani to visit Lebanon, according to the government press office.