Syria-Lebanon border: Ministers sign security deal

Shafaq News/ Syria and Lebanon signed an agreement in Saudi Arabia on Friday to boost cooperation on border demarcation and security coordination, officials said.

Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qusra and his Lebanese counterpart Michel Menassa signed the accord during a meeting in Jeddah, attended by Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman.

The agreement highlights the strategic importance of marking the shared border and includes the formation of legal committees across several areas. Both sides also pledged to "strengthen coordination mechanisms" to address security challenges along the frontier.

France has intensified its diplomatic engagement on the issue, with the presidency announcing that President Emmanuel Macron would host Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Paris on Friday for a three-way meeting with Syria’s transitional president Ahmad Al-Shara, who will join remotely.

“This meeting will allow the three presidents to discuss border security between Syria and Lebanon,” the Élysée said, citing recent tensions that sparked clashes. It added that France is working to help “restore the sovereignty of both Lebanon and Syria.”

Earlier, the border between the two countries saw deadly clashes before a ceasefire was reached.