UPDATE - Lebanese prime minister meets Syrian president in Damascus

UPDATES WITH DETAILS, REVISES HEADLINE, DECK

By Wassim Seifeddine and Betul Yilmaz

BEIRUT, Lebanon / ISTANBUL (AA) – The Lebanese prime minister met the Syrian president in Damascus on Monday, as he arrived for his first official visit to the neighboring country since taking office in February.

A statement by Nawaf Salam’s office said he discussed with Sharaa bilateral relations.

Salam called his meeting with the new Syrian president as “opening a new page” in the course of relations between the two countries, on the basis of “mutual respect and restoration of trust, good neighborhood, protecting the sovereignty of both countries, and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.”

According to the prime minister’s office, key issues on the agenda included tightening border controls, combating smuggling, securing all official crossings and closing illegal ones, and preventing further clashes along the border.

The refugee crisis was another major point of discussion, particularly ways to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees currently residing in Lebanon.

The meeting also dwelt on the mutual economic investment opportunities, along with the longstanding issue of Lebanese nationals who went missing during the era of the now-deposed Baath regime.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December, Syria’s new leadership has focused on restoring internal stability and regaining control over its borders, especially with Lebanon.

The urgency for closer cooperation between Syria and Lebanon was heightened after a border incident in mid-March, when Syria’s Defense Ministry accused the Lebanese group Hezbollah of kidnapping and killing three of its soldiers, an accusation the group has denied.

The Lebanon-Syria border, which stretches approximately 375 kilometers (233 miles), is known for its complex geography and includes six official land crossings.