Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stressed the urgent need to deal rapidly with the issue of displaced Syrians, who are massively present in Lebanon, and called for the demarcation of borders between Lebanon and Syria.
Mikati's remarks came after a meeting with Syria's new leader, Ahmad al-Shareh, in Damascus, where he headed an official Lebanese delegation on Saturday morning for discussions on issues of common interest.
“It has become urgent, for the interests of both countries, to rapidly resolve this issue and allow the return of displaced persons to Syria,” he said at a joint press briefing with Shareh, adding that the Syrian presence in Lebanon wields “strong pressure on all areas” in the country.
During the press conference, the two officials expressed their positions on a number of critical issues, including control of the border between the two countries.
In this respect, Mikati stressed that “the demarcation of the land border between Lebanon and Syria is a top priority.” “It is imperative to control the border in order to stop any smuggling operations between the two countries,” he stressed.
He also expressed his “wishes for peace and stability in Syria after years of war,” stressing that relations between the two countries should be based on the principles of “good neighborliness and equality between the two peoples.”
Mikati also raised with his host the issue of the missing Lebanese who had been imprisoned in the jails of Bashar al-Assad's ousted regime. He assured that the Syrian authorities would be following up on this matter and were waiting for the Lebanese authorities to hand over the list of names so that they could conduct an investigation and carry out DNA tests. Mikati said his talks with Shareh inspired confidence, and that he was reassured about the (good) nature of future bilateral relations.
For his part, Shareh called for “a chance for the Syrian and Lebanese peoples to build a positive relationship based on mutual respect and the sovereignty of both countries.” “Syria will keep an equal distance from all Lebanese parties and seek to resolve all problems through dialogue,” he said.
In response to a question about the election of General Joseph Aoun as president in Lebanon, Shareh expressed his support for the consensus around the former army commander, asserting that there would be “lasting strategic relations between Lebanon and Syria, based on solid and healthy foundations.”
Furthermore, the Syrian leader indicated that “the question of borders was a matter for customs.” “If I had the opportunity, I would open the borders to everyone. I would open them completely with Lebanon,” he added. In his view, relations between the two countries should be based on fraternity. These statements remain ambiguous for the moment, leaving room for multiple interpretations.
“Syria's current priority is to preserve the country's security and to monopolize arms through the Syrian state,” he added, revealing that he had discussed with Mikati the issue of Syrian savings blocked in Lebanese banks.
The Mikati-Shareh meeting was the first official exchange between Damascus and Beirut since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8. Mikati's visit is also the first by a Lebanese Prime Minister to Damascus since 2010, a year before the outbreak of war in Syria.
Mikati was accompanied by an official delegation comprising the caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib, the Acting Director of General Security, Brigadier General Elias Baysari, the Head of Army Intelligence, Brigadier General Tony Kahwaji and the Deputy Director of State Security, Hassan Choucair.
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