Damascus: New Syria respects Lebanon
Shafaq News – Beirut
Syria is seeking to rebuild relations with Lebanon on the basis of mutual interests and “good neighborliness,” Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said on Friday during his first visit to Beirut since taking office.
Speaking after talks with Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, al-Shibani described the trip as reflecting “the path of a new Syria that respects Lebanon.” Rajji said both sides are pursuing “a new course of cooperation built on goodwill and shared priorities.”
وزير الخارجية والمغتربين السيد أسعد حسن الشيباني يلتقي نظيره اللبناني السيد يوسف رجى في بيروت، حيث أجرى الجانبان مباحثات موسعة حول عدة قضايا مشتركة. pic.twitter.com/QEBl0Kd06o
— وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين السورية (@syrianmofaex) October 10, 2025
According to sources, discussions centered on the status of Lebanese detainees in Syria, joint border control, anti-smuggling efforts, and the gradual return of more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees. The ministers also followed up on last month’s meeting between Syria’s transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun in New York.
Al-Shibani is also scheduled to meet Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam later today, in what Lebanese outlets described as “a foundational step toward institutional dialogue” after years of political stagnation.
Damascus is reportedly moving to reestablish formal state-to-state coordination while reducing reliance on Hezbollah-linked channels, as the group’s role in Syria has receded since the political transition.
