Salam’s statement from Damascus: Comprehensive understandings and progress on outstanding issues between Lebanon and Syria

Statement by Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam at Damascus International Airport after concluding his visit to the Syrian Arab Republic:

I was pleased, together with the accompanying government delegation, to visit dear Syria and to meet with His Excellency President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who also received us in an expanded meeting that included members of the Lebanese delegation and their Syrian counterparts, following their bilateral talks. I would like to thank His Excellency the President for the warm welcome and generous hospitality.

We visited Damascus to continue consultations and work to strengthen Lebanese-Syrian relations at all levels—relations founded on trust, mutual respect for the sovereignty of both countries, and shared interests.

I would like to stress that today we made significant progress in addressing our common issues, especially those that had remained unresolved, in a positive spirit and with a commitment to cooperation without reservation or hesitation. I am confident that tangible results will emerge soon.

Our visit today came not only to follow up on what we began more than a year ago, but also to launch new initiatives in joint work and to reaffirm, once again, the importance of the relationship between the two states in all fields and at the level of all relevant official institutions. We are fully aware that strengthening state-to-state relations opens the door wide to interaction and partnership among the vital economic, social, and cultural forces in both countries.

We discussed the major challenges facing Lebanon and Syria amid rapidly unfolding regional developments on more than one front, and agreed on the importance of continuing consultations on them in the interest of both countries.

During this visit, we also discussed following up on the implementation of the agreement signed between the two countries on the transfer of convicted prisoners from Lebanese prisons to Syria. We also discussed continuing efforts to address the issue of Syrian detainees and to uncover the fate of the missing and forcibly disappeared in both countries. We stressed the need for stricter control of the Syrian-Lebanese border and the prevention of smuggling in all its forms, in addition to issues related to border crossings and facilitating the movement of travelers and goods.

We also underscored the need to continue dialogue and cooperation to facilitate the safe and dignified return of displaced Syrians to their homes and to regulate Syrian labor in Lebanon.

We held detailed discussions on land transport and trucks, joint transport and taxis, the rail link between Syria and Lebanon, and border crossings and bridges. We examined in particular the urgent needs related to operating border bridges and organizing traffic across them, and ways to meet those needs without delay. We also continued discussing the necessary remedies for problems related to inspection and examination at the border and other issues caused by certain measures and procedures involving restrictions on the movement of goods between the two countries. We emphasized the importance of removing obstacles to anything that harms the interests of both sides.

We also discussed the issue of fees imposed on exports and transit fees. It was agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of specifications, technical standards, and laboratory testing. We also agreed to develop bilateral economic and trade relations, including preferential trade between the two countries and the encouragement of investment. A consensus was reached to expedite the launch of a joint Lebanese-Syrian Business Council, with a meeting to be held in Damascus in the coming weeks.

The Lebanese-Syrian talks also addressed activating and improving electricity interconnection to facilitate Lebanon’s import of electricity from and through Syria, concluding a natural gas transit agreement, and working to achieve this at the earliest possible opportunity.

It goes without saying that we will continue political consultations and strengthen cooperation between our two countries. This is not limited to the areas we have mentioned, but extends to many others as well. To this end, we will establish joint technical committees and intensify communication at the ministerial level.