Lebanon and Syria will work together to strengthen borders, Najib Mikati says after Damascus talks

Lebanon and Syria will work together to secure their land borders, as well as to delineate both land and sea borders, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said during a visit to Damascus on Saturday.

“It is among the priorities to draw up the land and sea borders between Lebanon and Syria,” Mr Mikati said at a joint press conference in the Syrian capital following talks with the country's new leader Ahmad Al Shara.

Mr Mikati is the first Lebanese head of government to visit Syria since an uprising against president Bashar Al Assad in 2011 escalated into civil war. A lightning rebel offensive led by Mr Al Shara's Hayat Tahrir Al Sham group toppled Mr Al Assad on December 8.

Mr Mikati said Lebanon and Syria would form a committee to work on demarcation of the border, which has never been officially defined, and would also combat smuggling on the porous frontier.

“Some of the matters on the border need to be fully controlled, especially at illegal border points, to stop any smuggling operation between Lebanon and Syria,” he said.

Mr Al Shara said they had discussed issues including smuggling, border challenges and Syrian deposits in Lebanese banks. Both sides agreed to establish committees to address those matters and provide support.

Mr Al Shara said he hoped that issues at the official border crossing would be resolved soon. Lebanese citizens, who had previously crossed easily into Syria without needing a visa, are currently barred from entry.

“We seek to have social ties between us that increase and not decrease, so any border obstacles between us should be eliminated in the future, but this is a detailed matter for customs officials,” he said.

“There will be long-term strategic relations between us and Lebanon. We and Lebanon have great shared interests.”

Relations between the two countries had been strained under Mr Al Assad, with Lebanon's political factions deeply divided between those supporting and opposing his rule.

Syria held significant influence over Lebanon for much of the Assad family's five decades in power, maintaining a military presence there for 29 years until 2005 in the face of widespread opposition from many Lebanese people.

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement sent its fighters into Syria to support Mr Al Assad in the civil war, but the group has been considerably weakened by Israeli attacks on its command structure and arsenal after it began firing rockets, drones and missiles into Israel following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said following his election on Thursday that there was a historic opportunity for “serious and equitable dialogue” with Syria.