PM Salam Visits Damascus; Lebanon and Syria Report 'Significant Progress' on Bilateral Relations

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, reporting 'significant progress' on a range of bilateral issues including security cooperation, transport links, shared infrastructure, and economic relations. The talks addressed the status of over 2,000 Syrians held in Lebanese jails, with more than 130 transferred to Syria in March 2026. Both governments aligned on opposition to Hezbollah's armed presence, shared border security priorities including anti-smuggling measures along their 330-kilometre shared border, and cooperation on the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon. The visit was Salam's second official trip to Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024, marking a significant reset in Lebanon-Syria relations after decades of Syrian domination and the Assad-era occupation.