Syrian Shara meets Lebanese Prime Minister in an effort to improve long-strained relations by Reuters

Written by Tala Ramadan

(Reuters) – Syrian de facto President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Damascus on Saturday in an effort to improve long-strained relations, with both men focusing on strengthening their shared border.

This was the first visit by a prime minister to Syria since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in a sweeping rebel attack on December 8, and the first visit by a Lebanese prime minister to neighboring Syria in 15 years.

Relations between Damascus and Beirut have often been fraught with tension since they became independent states in the 1940s.

Mikati said after the meeting that the two countries agreed to work together to secure their land borders and demarcate their common land and sea borders as a priority issue.

He added that “at the top of the list of priorities is demarcating the land and sea borders between Lebanon and Syria” and securing the borders to prevent illegal smuggling.

It has also become “urgent” to address the issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and return them to their homeland, according to a statement from his office.

Nearly 800,000 Syrians are registered as refugees in Lebanon, but officials estimate the number is much higher, and say they place an enormous burden on Lebanese public services.

Al-Sharaa also considered the borders his top priority, and said that the two leaders discussed Syrian deposits in Lebanese banks, which are inaccessible due to the five-year financial crisis in Lebanon.

Al-Sharaa added, “We hope that the Lebanese will abandon the mentality of the previous Syrian relationship in Lebanon and the negative relations that followed it,” considering that there is “an opportunity to build a positive relationship.”

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.

The Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah played a major role in supporting ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war, fighting the Sunni Islamist militants who ousted him.

In 2014, as the war in Syria raged, Syrian Islamist rebels captured Lebanese soldiers from the porous border area between the two countries, and executed some of them.

Mikati is accompanied on his visit by Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib, the head of Lebanese Public Security responsible for border management, and the head of Lebanese Military Intelligence.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said after his election on Thursday that there is a historic opportunity for a “serious and fair dialogue” with Syria.

Al-Sharaa congratulated Aoun on assuming the presidency.