Lebanon\u2019s Mikati and Syria\u2019s al-Sharaa discuss bilateral issues, including smuggling between the two countries and border challenges
\n Damascus
\nLebanon\u2019s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said Beirut and Damascus will work together to secure their land borders, as well as to delineate both land and sea borders.
\nIn the first trip by a Lebanese prime minister to neighbouring Syria in 15 years, Mikati addressed a joint news conference with Syria\u2019s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in the capital Damascus on Saturday.
\nAl-Sharaa said they had discussed issues including smuggling between the two countries, border challenges, and Syrian deposits in Lebanese banks.
\nHe said he expected \u201clong-term strategic relations\u201d with neighbouring Lebanon after the crisis-hit country elected a much-needed president.
\n\u201cWe and Lebanon have great shared interests,\u201d al-Sharaa added.
\nBoth sides agreed to establish committees to address these matters and provide support.
\nAl Jazeera\u2019s Hamza Mohamed, reporting from Damascus, said the two leaders agreed to work to prevent smuggling between the two countries.
\n\u201cSmugglers used to send weapons and drugs from Syria into Lebanon,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cThis was quite important for the Lebanese leader and he mentioned that,\u201d our correspondent added.
\nLebanon\u2019s eastern border is porous and known for smuggling.
\nLebanese armed group Hezbollah supported al-Assad with fighters during Syria\u2019s civil war.
\nHowever, the Iran-aligned movement has been weakened after a war with Israel killed its longtime leader and damaged the group\u2019s firepower, a factor helping the Syrian rebels to seize Damascus last month.
\nRefugees
\nAl Jazeera\u2019s Mohamed also said al-Sharaa stressed that his country was trying to find a way to resolve the question of Syrian refugees in Lebanon \u2013 a large burden to the country\u2019s crippled economy.
\nLebanon is estimated to host about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, who fled the civil war in the country that started in 2011.
\nAbout 13 years of conflict have killed more than half a million people, ravaged the economy, and pushed millions to flee their homes as they were displaced internally and externally.
\nLebanon\u2019s newly elected President Joseph Aoun said on Thursday that there was a historic opportunity for \u201cserious and equitable dialogue\u201d with Syria.
\nFor much of the al-Assad family\u2019s five decades in power, Syria held significant influence over Lebanon, maintaining a military presence for 29 years in the face of widespread opposition from many Lebanese.
\nSyria eventually withdrew its troops in 2005 under international pressure after the assassination of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lebanon\u2019s Mikati and Syria\u2019s al-Sharaa discuss bilateral issues, including smuggling between the two countries and border challenges Damascus Lebanon\u2019s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said Beirut and Damascus will work together to secure their land borders, as well as to delineate both land and sea borders. In the first trip by a Lebanese prime […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":455076,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-455063","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n