Lebanon and Syria sought to deepen ties and press on with a new chapter in their relations when Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Their relations have been marked by decades of turbulence, with the Syria occupying its neighbour for decades during the Assad family's iron-fisted rule.
The two countries initiated a reset in their troubled relationship in late 2024, after the collapse of the Assad regime in late 2024, which had been propped up during the Syrian civil war by the Lebanese armed group and political party Hezbollah. Mr Al Shara led the lightening rebel advance that toppled the Assad regime after five decades of authoritarian rule.
“We have been working for some time to open a new page with our Syrian brothers, and to build relations between our two countries on trust, non-interference in internal affairs and shared interests,” Mr Salam said after meeting Mr Al Shara on Wednesday.
“We also discussed the importance of strengthening regional connectivity projects, especially in the fields of electricity, railways and energy, given the shared interests they hold for the two countries.” Mr Salam is due to address UNGA on Friday.
Since the fall of Bashar Al Assad, authorities in both countries have sought to reshape their relationship and revive their once-close trade ties. But unresolved bilateral issues, including the repatriation of Syrian prisoners from Lebanon, continue to hinder any rapprochement.
The issues extend to security co-operation. In July, Lebanon and Syria announced the creation of a high-level committee set up to develop economic partnerships and security agreements.
Mr Salam referred to this committee, saying he had discussed with the Syrian President “the necessity of completing the review of the agreements between the two countries”. The first meeting of the committee will take place in the next two months, he added.
