Rajji: Transfer of Syrian prisoners first step toward better Lebanon-Syria ties

BEIRUT — Foreign Minister Joe Rajji said Saturday that the Lebanese government’s approval of an agreement to transfer convicted Syrian prisoners “constitutes the beginning and the first step in a process of clearing and improving relations” between the two countries.

“We will continue to cooperate together on the remaining files, including the issue of Lebanese missing persons, the demarcation of land and maritime borders, moving forward with the safe return of our displaced brothers, and reviewing bilateral agreements in a manner that serves the interests and sovereignty of our two brotherly countries,” he added in a post on X.

Lebanon and Syria officially signed the agreement Friday, providing for the transfer of around 300 Syrian inmates convicted and currently held in Lebanon’s overcrowded prisons. Under the deal, the prisoners, who have already been tried in Lebanon, will be repatriated to Syria.

The roughly 300 inmates are part of about 2,250 Syrians detained in Lebanon.

The agreement, approved by the Lebanese Cabinet last week, had been a key demand from Damascus in the context of efforts by the two countries to improve relations.