Syria, Lebanon sign agreement on border issue

Syria and Lebanon have signed an agreement on demarcating borders in Jdedah on Friday, the agreement was signed by Syrian Defence Minister Mu’affaq Abu Qasra and Lebanese Defence Minister Michel Menassa who held talks in the presence of Saudi Arabian Defence Minister Khalid Bin Salman.

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It has been agreed to form specialised committees to sort out the details. There were tensions between Syria and Lebanon earlier in the month when three Syrian soldiers were reported to have been kidnapped by Hezbollah and killed, while seven Lebanese soldiers were killed in the skirmishes between the two countries.

The Syrian and Lebanese ministers had agreed on the “strategic importance of a demarate border,” the new Syrian government which had taken control after the overthrow of Bashar Al Assad had suspected Iranian-backed Hezbollah of supporting the pro-Assad regime elements, but Hezbollah has denied involvement.

The situation in Syria is of strategic importance and interest. When Bashar Al Assad was in power, it was quite evident that Iran, along with Russia, was supporting his government. Turkey was opposed to the Assad government because they suspected that it supported the Kurdish groups. But in the last few months of Assad’s regime, Turkey was willing to restore relations with Damascus.