The Lebanese Prime Minister meets the de facto Syrian leader in Damascus news

The Lebanese Mikati and the Syrian Shara discuss bilateral issues, including smuggling between the two countries and border challenges.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that Beirut and Damascus will work together to secure their land borders, as well as demarcate land and sea borders.

In the first visit by a Lebanese prime minister to neighboring Syria in 15 years, Mikati spoke at a joint press conference with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the capital, Damascus, on Saturday.

Al-Sharaa said that they discussed issues including smuggling between the two countries, border challenges, and Syrian deposits in Lebanese banks.

He said he expected “long-term strategic relations” with neighboring Lebanon after the crisis-hit country elected a much-needed president.

Al-Sharaa added: “We and Lebanon have great common interests.”

The two sides agreed to form committees to address these matters and provide support to them.

Hamza Muhammad, Al Jazeera’s correspondent from Damascus, said that the two leaders agreed to work to prevent smuggling between the two countries.

He said: “The smugglers were sending weapons and drugs from Syria to Lebanon.”

Our correspondent added: “This matter was very important to the Lebanese president, and he mentioned it.”

Lebanon’s eastern borders are porous and known for smuggling.

The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah supported Assad with fighters during the Syrian Civil War.

However, the Iran-aligned movement has been weakened after a war with Israel killed its longtime leader and destroyed the group’s firepower, a factor that helped Syrian rebels seize control of the region. The capture of Damascus last month.

Refugees

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed also said that Shara stressed that his country is trying to find a way to resolve the issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon – who represent a huge burden on the country’s crippled economy.

It is estimated that Lebanon hosts about 1.5 million Syrian refugees who fled the country’s civil war that began in 2011.

The conflict, which has been ongoing for 13 years, has killed more than half a million people, destroyed the economy, and forced millions to flee their homes, where they have been displaced internally and externally.

Lebanon Newly elected president Joseph Aoun The Secretary-General of the United Nations said on Thursday that there is a historic opportunity to hold a “serious and fair dialogue” with Syria.

For most of the Assad family’s five decades in power, Syria had significant influence over Lebanon, maintaining a military presence for 29 years in the face of widespread opposition from many Lebanese.

Syria finally withdrew its forces in 2005 under international pressure after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.