Lebanon to work with Syria to strengthen borders By Reuters

By Tala Ramadan

(Reuters) -Lebanon and Syria will work together to secure their land borders, as well as to delineate both land and sea borders, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Saturday in Damascus.

In the first trip by a Lebanese prime minister to neighbouring Syria in 15 years, Mikati addressed a joint news conference in Damscus with Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

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

Both sides agreed to establish committees to address these matters and provide support.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, said following his election on Thursday that there was a historic opportunity for “serious and equitable dialogue” with Syria.

For much of the Assad family’s five decades in power, Syria held significant influence over Lebanon, maintaining a military presence there for 29 years until 2005 in the face of widespread opposition from many Lebanese.