Damascus is keen to improve Lebanon ties. But is Beirut?

Then came Hezbollah's entry into Syria, where it joined Bashar al-Assad in killing Syrians and driving them from their homes. Added to this is Lebanon's own division over that brazen intervention, the support and justification offered by some Lebanese parties and officials, and the role some played in the persecution of Syrian refugees who had fled to Lebanon. It is a memory heavy with pain and mistrust. Yet building post-Assad relations requires cooperation that serves Syrians and Lebanese alike.

Damascus believes that Lebanon's stability serves Syria's interests, and vice versa. It also believes Lebanon should benefit from the economic revival whose outlines have begun to appear in Syria. Damascus has shown openness to cooperation with Lebanon across various fields, without implying any interference in Lebanese internal affairs, into which some Lebanese insist on drawing Damascus without its consent or knowledge.

Border control

The issues discussed during the visit matter to both sides. Yet security remains the central issue, particularly control of the border between the two countries. In this context, the absence of any Lebanese security official from the delegation to Damascus was notable.

Syria has repeatedly announced the arrest and exposure of cells affiliated with Hezbollah that were planning terrorist operations and assassinations inside Syria. Damascus also reinforced the army's deployment along the border during the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah, a step that raised concerns among many Lebanese.

For his part, Sharaa was careful to clarify the matter repeatedly through contacts he initiated with several Lebanese officials. The border between Syria and Lebanon has yet to be demarcated. In many areas, it is interwoven and entangled. Its demarcation and control should be a priority for both sides. 

Notable absence

Beyond the positive tone expressed by both sides and the cooperation shown by Salam, who is keen to build the best possible relations with Damascus, one question continues to be heard in the Syrian capital: where does President General Joseph Aoun stand in this relationship? Why has he not yet visited Damascus or contacted Sharaa?

Damascus wants to build the best possible relations with Beirut, but it takes two to tango. For this relationship to begin on the right footing, in a way that serves the interests of both countries and respects their sovereignty, border control will remain a priority, even if some are content merely to allude to it without laying the foundations for practical solutions that prevent the return of past experiences whose weight both countries still carry.