Lebanon Hosts Key Meeting Between Lebanese, Syrian Officials

(MENAFN) Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, hosted a key meeting on Monday between Lebanese and Syrian officials aimed at addressing shared concerns, with a primary focus on the plight of Syrian detainees and missing persons in Lebanon.

Media reported that Mohammad Yaqoub Al-Omar, director of the consular affairs department at the Syrian Foreign Ministry, met with Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri alongside a Syrian ministry delegation.

Al-Omar said the discussions centered on the issue of Syrian detainees and missing persons in Lebanon as well as other bilateral matters, though no further specifics were provided.

He emphasized that “both sides reaffirmed the importance of enhancing brotherly relations between Syria and Lebanon, based on mutual coordination and cooperation.”

Earlier in April, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held talks in Damascus with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa—the first visit by a Lebanese official since al-Sharaa assumed office—covering multiple issues, including Syrian detainees in Lebanon.

The Lebanese-Syrian border has long been a flashpoint for disputes, particularly involving smuggling of goods and people, while the fate of Syrian detainees held in Lebanese prisons remains one of the most sensitive and unresolved topics between the two nations.

Efforts to finalize border demarcation have repeatedly stalled, with no agreement yet reached.

Recently, private local TV cited informed sources highlighting lingering questions over more than 2,000 Syrians detained in Lebanon, many held without trial since the Syrian uprising began in March 2011. Lebanese authorities claim detainees face pending charges but have not disclosed specific numbers or allegations.

Following Bashar al-Assad’s ouster on Dec. 8, 2024, the new Syrian administration under President al-Sharaa has stepped up efforts to settle longstanding disputes, including the critical issue of detainees.

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