Lebanese deputy PM visits Damascus for high-level bilateral talks
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Lebanese Deputy PM Tarek Mitri visits Damascus for talks with senior officials to strengthen political, security, judicial, and economic cooperation with Syria.
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Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri with the head of the Syrian Transitional Phase, Ahmad al-Sharaa, in Damascus, Syria, November 20, 2025 (AP)
Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri visited Syria on Thursday, where he met with the head of the Syrian Transitional Phase, Ahmad al-Sharaa, in discussions focused on enhancing ties between the two neighboring countries.
According to official statements, the talks addressed ways to advance bilateral cooperation in a manner that serves the shared interests of Lebanon and Syria and contributes to strengthening stability and joint efforts across multiple sectors.
Mitri also held a series of meetings with senior Syrian officials, including Foreign Minister Asaad al-Sheibani and Minister of Justice Mazhar al-Weis. During the talks, officials reviewed key outstanding issues, particularly the files of detainees, missing persons, and border management. Both sides reiterated their commitment to “serious work to find fair solutions” that uphold rights and reinforce judicial cooperation.
The Lebanese and Syrian sides underscored during the meetings “the importance of continuing coordination and developing relations in the political, security, judicial, and economic fields, in a way that contributes to opening new horizons for constructive cooperation” between Beirut and Damascus.
Mitri’s visit comes as part of ongoing efforts to maintain dialogue and communication, with both governments expressing a shared determination to elevate bilateral relations to stronger levels in the period ahead.
Sources close to Bassil urge Syria engagement
Sources close to the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, have expressed serious concerns over the security situation in Lebanon's Bekaa region, describing it as a "fragile" area and an "existential concern" for its residents.
According to the sources, who spoke to Al Mayadeen, the recent political shifts in Syria, marked by what they termed a "new regime," necessitate accelerated engagement with Damascus based on vital Lebanese interests.
The sources indicated that a degree of reassurance comes from a statement by Syria's Acting President, Ahmad al-Sharaa, in which he reportedly said he would not seek to "settle scores" with Hezbollah, despite being asked to do so.
This aligns with remarks made by Bassil during a visit to the town of Duris in Baalbek, eastern Lebanon, where he stated that "Syria has changed, and it has a new regime," adding, "The Bekaa is not only meant to defend itself but to defend all of Lebanon. If the Bekaa falls, all of Lebanon falls."
