Lebanon, Syria establish committees to address prisoners, border disputes
New phase of dialogue seeks to resolve long-standing issues after Assad’s ouster
BEIRUT, Lebanon (MNTV) — Lebanon and Syria have agreed to create joint committees tasked with determining the fate of nearly 2,000 Syrian nationals imprisoned in Lebanon, investigating cases of Lebanese citizens missing in Syria, and addressing unresolved border demarcation.
According to Al Arabiya Network, the decision followed a visit to Beirut by a Syrian delegation that included two former Cabinet ministers and the head of Syria’s National Commission for Missing Persons.
It marked the first official mission since insurgent groups toppled former President Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024.
Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has signaled readiness to “open a new page” with Lebanon, with plans underway for foreign affairs and justice ministers to visit Beirut.
While no date has been finalized, Lebanese officials described the move as a potential step toward resetting relations that have remained strained for decades.
Tensions between the two countries persist. Syria’s new leadership remains critical of Hezbollah’s role in backing Assad during the conflict, while many Lebanese still recall Syria’s 29-year military presence and political dominance, which ended in 2005.
Discussions with Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri focused on the 800 Syrians held on security charges, many of whom are detained without trial.
The talks also addressed Lebanese missing in Syria, widespread smuggling across the porous border, and the presence of around 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon displaced during more than 14 years of war.
While the Syrian delegation sought to review existing bilateral agreements established under the Assad dynasty, Lebanese officials proposed drafting new frameworks to tackle outstanding disputes.
Since Assad’s fall, two Lebanese prime ministers have traveled to Damascus, and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has met al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the Arab summit in Egypt earlier this year.
The two nations formally recognized each other with the opening of embassies in 2008, more than six decades after Lebanon’s independence from France.
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