عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Lebanon Seeks Economic Cooperation with Syria that Does Not Violate Caesar Act

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab speaks at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon March 6, 2021. (Dalati & Nohra)
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab speaks at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon March 6, 2021. (Dalati & Nohra)
TT
20
TT

Lebanon Seeks Economic Cooperation with Syria that Does Not Violate Caesar Act

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab speaks at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon March 6, 2021. (Dalati & Nohra)
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab speaks at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon March 6, 2021. (Dalati & Nohra)

Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab met on Tuesday with a number of ministers to discuss setting an agenda for an official visit of Lebanese ministers to Syria, with the aim of resolving outstanding matters between the two countries.

An official statement said that the meeting included Industry Minister Imad Hoballah, Public Works Michel Michel Najjar, Social Affairs and Tourism Minister Ramzi Musharafieh, Agriculture Minister Abbas Mortada and Communications Minister Talal Hawat.

The statement added that the meeting discussed the transit through Syria and other points pertaining to the Caesar Act.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the ministers reviewed the means to cooperate in the tourism, agricultural and industrial fields without violating the Caesar Act.

The US bill deems any commercial, financial and economic dealings with Damascus as a support to the Syrian government and exposes Lebanese individuals, companies and the banking sector to sanctions.

The sources added that the delegation to Damascus would include the ministers of industry, agriculture and public works.

The delegation will be the first to visit Syria in an official capacity under the Diab government. Recent visits were limited to pro-Damascus politicians and to the Minister of Health, Hamad Hassan, who traveled to the Syrian capital earlier this year to obtain oxygen that was lacking in Lebanon in the midst of a severe wave of Covid-19. The Minister of Social Affairs had also visited Damascus to discuss the return of displaced Syrians.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Syrians Rejoice during First Eid after Assad's Fall

Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
TT
20
TT

Syrians Rejoice during First Eid after Assad's Fall

Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD

Eid al-Fitr in Syria was charged with newfound joy this year, as thousands freely celebrated the holiday for the first time after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

From the early morning hours, crowds of men, women and children flocked to pray at Damascus's historic Umayyad Mosque in the Old City.

"This is the first time we truly feel the joy of Eid, after getting rid of Assad's tyrannical regime," Fatima Othman told AFP.

Following prayer, worshippers exchanged Eid greetings while street vendors sold colorful balloons and toys to children posing for photos with their parents.

"Our celebration is doubled after Assad's fall," said Ghassan Youssef, a resident of the capital.

A few kilometers (miles) away, on the slopes of Mount Qasyun overlooking Damascus -- a site previously off-limits to Syrians until Assad was deposed on December 8 -- a few thousand people gathered at Unknown Soldier Square for an open-air prayer.

Among them were members of the security forces and the army, dressed in uniform and armed. The road leading to the square was packed, according to an AFP photographer.

Some worshippers distributed sweets to celebrate, while the three-star Syrian flag, adopted by the new authorities, waved in the air.

Under the previous government, access to the Unknown Soldier monument was typically restricted to Assad and his close associates, who would lay wreaths there during national ceremonies.

'Celebration of celebrations!'
The memorial, where a giant screen broadcast the Eid prayer, is near the presidential palace.

There, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa prayed alongside Syria's new mufti Osama al-Rifai and several cabinet ministers in the presence of a large crowd.

He later delivered a speech emphasizing the country faced "a long and arduous road to reconstruction but possesses all the resources needed to recover".

This came two days after the formation of a new government, which faces daunting challenges in a country devastated by 14 years of civil war.

Wael Hamamiya, who had been in Sweden since the early days of the conflict, returned to Damascus to celebrate Eid with his family.

"This is my first Eid here in nearly 15 years. I truly feel the celebration in its full meaning," he told AFP, beaming.

"Everyone who has come is over the moon. This is the celebration of celebrations!"

The occasion was more somber for some Syrians, who were able to visit the graves of loved ones that had been off-limits during Assad reign, especially in former opposition strongholds.

At al-Rawda Cafe in Damascus, 36-year-old Amer Hallaq chatted with friends after returning from exile in Berlin where he ended up after dodging compulsory military service in 2014.

"For years, I thought I'd never see my family again or celebrate Eid with them," Hallaq said.

"The joy of liberation and victory is immense, but there's still a lot of work ahead. This is only the beginning of the road."