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Damascus talks
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited Damascus on Saturday for his second official trip to Syria since assuming office last year, meeting Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to discuss joint interests including security, transport, infrastructure, and economic matters.
“On Saturday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said “significant progress” had been made”
Salam said “significant progress” had been made in the discussions, which also covered the release of Syrian prisoners held in overcrowded Lebanese jails.
The talks came as both countries pursue a rapprochement following the overthrow of longtime Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, almost 18 months ago, and Salam said the agenda included continuing efforts to address detained Syrians in Lebanon and uncover the fate of missing and forcibly detained in both countries.
Al Jazeera reported that more than 2,000 Syrians are currently detained in Lebanon, with some accused of “terrorism” and others allegedly attacked the Lebanese army, while Al-Sharaa made their release a priority.
The meeting also addressed shared interests involving Hezbollah, with Al Jazeera saying Hezbollah lost its vital supply route through Syria following al-Assad’s removal from power.
Ceasefire and detainees
Lebanon’s agenda for the Syria talks also intersected with Israel-Lebanon diplomacy, as Al Jazeera said Lebanon was preparing for another round of direct talks with Israel in Washington next week with negotiations scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Salam said he would prioritise reinforcing the current ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, and the truce brokered by Washington came into effect in mid-April.
Al Jazeera added that since then Israel has repeatedly carried out attacks across Lebanon, including in the capital, Beirut, prompting critics to accuse the country of failing to adhere to the agreement.
The TRT World report said the meeting addressed “following up on the implementation of agreements signed between the two countries regarding the transfer of convicted prisoners to Syria and determining the fate of missing persons in both countries,” linking the detainee file to broader bilateral coordination.
TRT World also said Salam told reporters that “We discussed the significant challenges facing Lebanon and Syria in light of the rapidly evolving regional developments on multiple fronts,” as both sides planned to establish joint committees and intensify communication at the ministerial level.
What’s at stake
Al Jazeera framed the stakes for Lebanon and Syria around border security and the detainees file, saying people and goods, including drugs and weapons, are frequently smuggled across the porous 330-kilometre (205-mile) border shared by Lebanon and Syria.
“People and goods, including drugs and weapons, are frequently smuggled across the porous 330-kilometre”
The report said smuggling may have declined since al-Assad’s ousting, but Damascus has announced a series of operations and arrests in recent months, while Syria arresting what it described as “Hezbollah cells” allegedly plotting to assassinate senior government figures.
Al Jazeera also reported that more than 130 Syrian prisoners were transferred from Lebanon to Syria in March, where they are serving the remainder of their sentences, and it said Salam described the talks as efforts to deepen ties through collaboration on economic, social and cultural issues.
In a separate account, Al Arabiya said Salam’s agenda would include border management and preventing smuggling, and it cited that “the Lebanese Director General of Customs, Grasya Qazzi, visited Damascus two days ago and discussed with Syrian officials the land border issue.”
Al Arabiya further said the prisoner handovers were part of implementing the “Judicial Cooperation Agreement” signed between the two countries in February, and it reported that the first batch was handed over on March 17, totaling between 132 and 137 Syrians who had final judgments.
