A New Ambassador for Lebanon in Damascus After 4 Years

SadaNews - Lebanese Ambassador Henry Qastoun presented his credentials to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shehbani, ending a vacancy that lasted 4 years for the position of his country's ambassador to Damascus.

The Syrian News Agency reported that Al-Shehbani received Qastoun in Damascus and received a copy of his credentials in preparation for him to begin his duties as the Ambassador of the Republic of Lebanon to Syria.

Full diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria effectively began in late 2008, when Michel Khoury was appointed as the first ambassador of Lebanon to Damascus, marking a historic step that took place for the first time since the independence of both countries.

Khoury remained in his position until the end of 2013, when he was retired upon reaching the legal age. This was followed by the first interruption in diplomatic representation at the ambassadorial rank, and this vacancy lasted for about 4 years.

In late 2017, Saad Zakhia took on the role as the second ambassador to Damascus, but his term ended in late 2021, leading to a new vacancy in relations that lasted for nearly 4 more years, until Qastoun was appointed the third ambassador of Lebanon in 2025.

In last October, Tarek Metri, the Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister, announced that diplomatic exchange between his country and Syria would soon resume.

Metri stated in a television interview at the time that relations between the two countries over the past five decades have been unequal, a point lamented by most Lebanese.

He spoke of "an opportunity to build those relations on new foundations, based on equality, mutual respect, and parity, rather than one imposing its guardianship over the other," describing the current relationship between Lebanon and Syria as "built on a clean slate."