Salam and Al-Shaibani: Building a State-to-State Relationship between Syria and Lebanon

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held a phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani, in a move described as a "practical confirmation" of the new rules on which diplomatic relations between Beirut and Damascus will be built in the coming phase.

According to a statement issued by the Lebanese Prime Minister's Office, the call focused on reaffirming the mutual commitment to open a different political page, based on equality, respect for sovereignty and direct cooperation between the two countries.

Salam praised the positions announced by President Ahmed al-Sharaa in his recent interview with Al-Mashhad TV, describing them as "brotherly, frank and responsible" positions that contributed to ending the wave of speculation and rumors that tried to question Damascus's intentions towards Lebanon.

The two sides considered that President  Al-Shara's statements put a definitive end to any misleading interpretations about the future of the relationship between the two countries, and stressed that the next stage will be based on full respect for the sovereignty of each country, and dealing from  "state to state" away from the old formulas that provoked political sensitivities inside Lebanon.

It was agreed to launch a new cooperation track that includes the opening of direct coordination channels to address common files, foremost of which is border control, activating economic cooperation, and coordinating humanitarian and security files to serve the interests of the two peoples.

Lebanese-Syrian Business Council  at the end of this month

 The call included an agreement to activate joint technical committees concerned with formulating the foundations of bilateral cooperation in accordance with the basis of mutual interests, provided that they discuss  confronting the repercussions of the Israeli escalation on southern Lebanon and inside Syria, enhancing the security of crossings and borders, developing practical mechanisms for the return of displaced Syrians, following up on energy agreements and trade exchange, and coordinating political approaches towards the proposed international initiatives.

The work of the committees is scheduled to be preceded by an imminent executive step, represented by the convening of the first session of the Lebanese-Syrian Joint Business Council in late June, in preparation for the launch of a foundational economic path between the two countries.

This movement comes within a timeline that began on May 9, 2026, during Nawaf Salam's visit to Damascus, where a preliminary agreement was reached with President Ahmed al-Sharaa to abolish  the old formula of the "Supreme Council" and replace it with joint technical and ministerial committees, and on May 22, the draft agreement on the establishment of the "Joint Supreme Committee" was included in the Lebanese government's agenda for approval in its legal form.

President Al-Shara: Syria refuses to return to any military role inside Lebanon

In an interview published yesterday evening with Al-Mashhad TV, President Al-Sharaa stressed that the new Syria has completely closed the page of guardianship and refuses to return to any military or security role inside Lebanon, stressing that Damascus is moving today according to the logic of the state and not by the logic of axes, and that its priority is peace, stability and dialogue among the Lebanese.

President Al-Shara touched on the statements attributed to US President Donald Trump regarding the possibility of Washington relying on Syria in the file of "Hezbollah" weapons, stressing that those statements were misinterpreted.

He explained that the intention is to support the path of peace and stability in Lebanon, not any Syrian military intervention, adding that Syria rejects a repeat of past experiences and seeks to encourage all Lebanese forces, including Hezbollah, to seek solutions that ensure the security and stability of the country.

Al-Sharaa said that the building of the Lebanese state still faces two main obstacles, represented in the file of "Hezbollah" weapons and the demarcation of the borders, considering that the continuation of disagreements over these two files hinders the stability of Lebanese institutions, explaining that Damascus does not see the right time to open the file of border demarcation due to the war and regional conditions.

He added that raising controversial issues now may lead to additional complications, while the focus should be on common files and areas of economic cooperation, pointing out that Lebanon has always found itself between two difficult options: civil war or confrontation with Israel, calling for the search for a "third option" that allows stability and development.