Michel Sleiman, Lebanon’s president, is set for a historic visit to Damascus, where the establishment of diplomatic ties will dominate the agenda of talks with Bashar al-Assad, his Syrian counterpart.
The two-day visit, beginning on Wednesday, is the first by a Lebanese head of state since Syrian troops withdrew from Lebanon in 2005.
Sleiman and al-Assad, whose states have not had official diplomatic relations since independence more than 60 years ago, finally agreed to establish ties last month in Paris.
The agenda at Wednesday’s talks also features complicated issues such as a border demarcation, a review of longstanding accords, Lebanese detainees in Syria and the presence of pro-Syrian Palestinian groups in Lebanon, diplomatic sources said.
“Syria wants a stable, united and Arab Lebanon which does not serve as a trampoline for hostile activities,” Elias Murad, editor-in-chief of the newspaper of Syria’s ruling Baath party, said.
Al-Hariri assassination
Syria dominated Lebanon for three decades until its forces left in the wake of massive protests by Lebanese after the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, the former prime minister.
Damascus has repeatedly denied accusations that it was involved in the bomb blast in Beirut which killed al-Hariri in February 2005.
The visit comes after Lebanon’s new government won a vote of confidence, allowing a power-sharing cabinet to finally start work after an agreement on a unity government was reached in Qatar in May.
The policy statement recognised the right of Lebanon, its government, people and armed movements to use all means possible to regain land claimed by Lebanon, a reference to the Shebaa Farms and nearby Israeli-held parts of Ghajjar village. (more…)
