Representatives from the Lebanese and Syrian governments will meet next week to follow up on the file of Syrian prisoners held in Lebanese jails.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani had discussed the issue and others during his visit to Lebanon this week.
The visit, during which he met with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Rajji, helped “break the ice” between their countries, said Shaibani.
He reiterated previous statements that a “new chapter in relations was being opened with Lebanon” following the ouster of the Assad regime in December.
Shaibani discussed with Lebanese officials security, judicial, economic and diplomatic affairs. The current Syrian authorities “respect Lebanon’s sovereignty” and “the principle of non-interference in its internal affairs.”
“We want to overcome the obstacles of the past with Lebanon,” he stressed.
Joint committees between Lebanon and Syria had held three meetings in Beirut since September to discuss the prisoner file and cooperation to hand over information about former Syrian regime officials involved in political crimes that had taken place in Lebanon over the decades.
Lebanese sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Shaibani and Lebanese officials agreed to hold bilateral meetings next week to discuss the prisoner file.
Lebanon asserted that it will not be lenient with prisoners who are held for murder or attacks against the Lebanese army. These cases will take their judicial course, said the sources.
They revealed that officials also tackled the demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian border without going into detail.
The visit mostly helped ease concerns from Lebanon and Syria and helped put relations on the right path, they explained.
Joint committees will continue to discuss pending issues, they stressed.
