Syria and Lebanon make ‘significant progress’ at talks on joint interests

In Damascus, Lebanese prime minister and Syrian president discuss issues including security, transport and energy.Published On 9 May 2026The leaders of Lebanon and Syria have concluded talks in Damascus focused on joint interests, as both countries pursue a rapprochement following the overthrow of longtime Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, almost 18 months ago.On Saturday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said “significant progress” had been made in the discussions with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which covered security, transport, infrastructure, and economic matters.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Israel’s attacks and pressure sowing seeds for division in tense Lebanonlist 2 of 3Senators press US military on Israel’s displacement campaign in Lebanonlist 3 of 3Al Jazeera reporter witnesses Israeli strikes on Lebanonend of listThe trip marks Salam’s second official visit to the neighbouring country since al-Assad was overthrown during a major offensive led by opposition forces under al-Sharaa.The talks also covered the release of Syrian prisoners held in overcrowded Lebanese jails. More than 2,000 Syrians are currently detained in Lebanon. Some are accused of “terrorism”, while others allegedly attacked the Lebanese army. Al-Sharaa has made their release a priority.“We discussed continuing efforts to address the issue of detained Syrians [in Lebanon] and to uncover the fate of the missing and forcibly detained in both countries,” said Salam.More than 130 Syrian prisoners were transferred from Lebanon to Syria in March, where they are serving the remainder of their sentences.Salam said the talks also focused on strengthening cooperation and deepening ties between the two countries through collaboration on economic, social and cultural issues.The Lebanese and Syrian governments both oppose the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, which holds significant influence in Lebanon and is currently engaged in a war with Israel. Some 1.2 million people – more than a fifth of Lebanon’s population – have been displaced by Israeli attacks.