Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in the capital city of Damascus. In an effort to revive relations between the two neighboring countries, Mikati extended an invitation for al-Assad to visit Beirut.

Accompanying Mikati were the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Interior. This visit marked the first high-level contact to Damascus since the formation of the new government in Lebanon back in February. The Prime Minister’s office emphasized that the visit aimed to “open a new chapter” in the relationship between the two countries based on “mutual respect, restoring trust, maintaining sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs.” Discussions during the meeting highlighted topics such as border security, prevention of smuggling, and the demarcation of land and sea borders.

Furthermore, the parties addressed the situation of Lebanese who went missing during the Assad regime in Syria as well as the Syrians detained in Lebanon. Lebanon has requested cooperation from Syria for certain judicial investigations and the extradition of some suspects. The issue of the “safe and dignified” return of Syrian refugees to their country also came up. Lebanon, struggling with an economic crisis, currently hosts around 1.5 million Syrian refugees, with approximately 750,000 of them officially registered according to the UN Refugee Agency.