Overview

• Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus to advance the March 28 border agreement aimed at enhancing security and cooperation.
• Both nations agreed to establish a joint ministerial committee to oversee border demarcation, close illegal crossings, and combat smuggling activities along the shared frontier.
• Discussions included resolving detainee and missing persons cases, with Lebanon pressing for clarity on its nationals held in Syrian prisons and Syria raising concerns about its citizens detained in Lebanon.
• The leaders also explored economic cooperation and strategies to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees, addressing Lebanon's challenges as the country with the highest number of refugees per capita.
• This marks a significant step in normalizing Lebanese-Syrian relations following years of tension and instability, particularly after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.