Written by Tala Ramadan
(Reuters) – Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Saturday in Damascus that Lebanon and Syria will work together to secure their land borders, as well as demarcate land and sea borders.
In the first visit by a Lebanese prime minister to neighboring Syria in 15 years, Mikati spoke at a joint press conference in Damascus with de facto Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Al-Sharaa said that they discussed issues including smuggling between the two countries, border challenges, and Syrian deposits in Lebanese banks.
The two sides agreed to form committees to address these matters and provide support to them.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said after his election on Thursday that there is a historic opportunity for a “serious and fair dialogue” with Syria.
For most of the Assad family's five decades in power, Syria had significant influence over Lebanon, maintaining a military presence there for 29 years until 2005 in the face of widespread opposition from many Lebanese.
