On April 14th, the Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who was previously the President of the International Court of Justice, visited the Syrian capital, Damascus and met with the current President and HTS leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was formerly known as Abu Muhammad al-Djaulani, a former Al-Qaeda leader. Salam’s office released the following statement regarding the main topics of the visit: “Discussions took place with President al-Sharaa and Syrian officials on border controls and crossings, the prevention of smuggling and the final determination of land and sea borders.” The Syrian side reportedly expressed general logistical readiness to assist with the return of refugees, as the Lebanese side presented its plan to return 400,000 refugees. The Lebanese delegation also discussed the issue of border crossings, which are “essential for the restoration of trust, good neighborliness, the preservation of the sovereignty of both countries and non-interference in internal affairs.” According to a UNHCR article from last year, there are “approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees” living in Lebanon. The meeting was reportedly the first visit by a high-ranking Lebanese delegation to Syria since the new government took office in Beirut in February and the ousting of the former Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad. A leading Al Jazeera correspondent commented on the event, saying, “Undoubtedly, this is an important visit. According to Lebanese officials, this is an opportunity to correct the course of relations between the two countries.” An unnamed official who was not authorized to inform the media referred to the visit as “the key to correcting relations between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect.” Salam was accompanied by the Lebanese Minister of Defense Michel Menassa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Youssef Rajji and the Minister of Interior Ahmad Hajjar. The meeting was reportedly initiated during a meeting in the Saudi port city of Jidda between the defense ministers of both countries under the patronage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Both sides emphasized the importance of increased security coordination to maintain the stability of both countries, according to the Lebanese press office. Salam reportedly invited the Syrian ruler al-Sharaa and his Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani to visit Beirut.
Hope for New Chapter Amid Syrian Refugees Crisis
