Lebanese Justice: Formation of Two Specialized Committees from Lebanon and Syria to Follow Up on Joint Files

SadaNews - The Lebanese Ministry of Justice announced today, Tuesday, the formation of two specialized committees between Damascus and Beirut to follow up on the outstanding issues between the two countries.

This announcement came in a statement from the ministry following a visit by an official Syrian delegation to Beirut last week and its meeting with Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Mitri.

At the beginning of September, Beirut hosted a Lebanese-Syrian meeting to discuss common issues between the two countries, most notably the file of Syrian detainees and missing persons in Lebanon.

At that time, the Director of the Consular Department at the Syrian Foreign Ministry, Mohammad Yaqub Al-Amar, along with a delegation from the ministry, met with the Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister, according to the official Syrian news agency "SANA".

The Lebanese Ministry of Justice stated: "After the visit of an official delegation from the Syrian Arab Republic to Beirut and its meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, it was agreed to establish new mechanisms to enhance communication and coordination between the two countries."

It added: "As a result, two specialized committees were formed to follow up on the joint files, one in Lebanon and the other in Syria (without specifying their members)."

It noted that the two committees "held their first meeting in Damascus, where sensitive security and judicial issues were discussed, foremost among them the file of missing Lebanese persons in Syrian prisons, and the file of Syrian detainees in Lebanon."

It indicated that the two sides "agreed to hold the second meeting soon in Beirut to continue the discussions and complete what was reached in the first round."

No official comment has yet been issued regarding the formation of the committees from the Syrian side.

On Monday, Syria and Lebanon held a preparatory meeting between judicial and security committees to discuss the issue of detainees and the related bilateral agreements, according to SANA, without specifying the location of the meeting.

In April, the Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharah in Damascus, in the first visit by a Lebanese official since the latter took office, and discussed several issues including Syrian detainees in Lebanon.

The Lebanese-Syrian border has seen ongoing debate for years regarding the smuggling of people and goods, while the file of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons remains one of the thorny issues between the two sides.

Moreover, the issue of border demarcation has remained unresolved, as no final agreement has been reached between Beirut and Damascus despite repeated attempts.

Since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, the new Syrian administration led by al-Sharah has been making intensive efforts to resolve outstanding issues, especially with neighboring countries, with the aim of enhancing security and stability in Syria.