Lebanese, Syrian foreign ministers discuss joint issues including Syrian detainees in Lebanon

By Naim Berjawi and Rania Abu Shamala

BEIRUT/ISTANBUL (AA) - Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji spoke by phone Thursday with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani on issues between their countries, including the case of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons.

Rajji said al-Shaibani renewed his government’s demand to address the issue in line with established legal procedures, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese minister.

On Tuesday, Lebanon’s Ministry of Justice announced the formation of two specialized committees between Damascus and Beirut to follow up on outstanding issues between the two countries.

The step came after a Syrian official delegation visited Beirut last week and met with Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri.

The ministry noted in a statement that the two committees “held their first meeting in Damascus, where they discussed sensitive security and judicial issues, chiefly the case of missing Lebanese in Syrian prisons and the issue of Syrian detainees in Lebanon.”

Recently, the private Syria TV channel cited informed sources as saying that questions remain over the fate of more than 2,000 Syrians detained in Lebanon, most without trial since the start of the Syrian uprising in March 2011. Lebanese authorities say they are being held on pending charges but have not disclosed numbers or accusations.

‏Since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in late 2024, Syria’s new administration has pursued political and economic reforms while promoting social cohesion and working to expand cooperation with regional and international partners.