Asaad al-Shibani Meets Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam, Nabih Berri in Beirut on Syria-Lebanon Ties

Syria’s foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani visited Beirut and met President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and parliament speaker Nabih Berri as Lebanese and Syrian officials sought to stress noninterference while Damascus mulls Hezbollah talks.

After meeting Salam, Shibani was asked whether Beirut would accept Syrian involvement in Lebanon’s security if the US pushed for it, and Salam declined to answer directly by pointing to “President Ahmed al-Sharaa has already answered this question.”

Al-Jazeera Net

In a statement following his meeting with Shibani, Aoun said the Syrian foreign minister confirmed “Syria’s intent to build sound state-to-state relations based on mutual respect and noninterference.”

Asked whether Damascus would be willing to meet with Hezbollah in the future, Shibani indicated that it would not rule out such contacts, saying, “If the interest requires a meeting with Hezbollah, we are open to it.”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Shibani’s visit “removes the concerns of some Lebanese about the existence of an intention by Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa to interfere in Lebanon,” according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

Aoun also said the Syrian delegation stressed that cooperation should take place exclusively “from state to state,” rather than through political parties or factions.

Al-Jazeera Net

In response to reporters’ questions, Shibani said there is no meeting today with Hezbollah, but in the future if there is an interest that serves the benefit of the two countries, they are certainly open to that.

Shibani’s position was also reflected in a televised interview attributed to Ahmad al-Sharaa, who said: “We will sit at the same table with Hezbollah if it serves the interests of Syria and Lebanon.”

Lebanon and Syria signed an agreement establishing a Joint Higher Committee to deepen cooperation in political, economic and security fields after Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met al Shaibani at the Grand Serail in Beirut.

“Syria, Lebanon stress noninterference as Damascus mulls Hezbollah talks When asked whether Damascus would be willing to meet with Hezbollah in the future, Syria’s foreign minister indicated that it would not rule out such a meeting”

Al-Monitor

Salam said the committee would coordinate efforts on electricity interconnection, transport, trade, cross-border movement and broader bilateral relations, while al Shaibani described the agreement as “a framework for expanding partnerships between ministries, enhancing security coordination and overcoming the difficult legacy of past relations.”

The agreement was also described as creating a platform for ministries in both countries to develop partnerships, security coordination and broader cooperation, with al-Shaibani saying, “We signed the agreement establishing the Joint Higher Committee for Cooperation and Partnership with Lebanon.”

Across the visit, Shibani also condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanon and the displacement of civilians, saying the framework agreement is “a Lebanese matter,” while Syria supports any political process that promotes Lebanon’s stability and national interests.