On September 1, 2025, Lebanon and Syria announced a significant diplomatic breakthrough: the two neighbors will form committees to address a trio of longstanding and emotionally charged issues—Syrian prisoners held in Lebanon, Lebanese citizens missing in Syria, and the thorny question of their unmarked shared border. The move, hailed by officials on both sides, signals a potential new chapter in a relationship that has been marred by decades of conflict, mistrust, and political tension.
The announcement came as a high-level Syrian delegation, including two former Cabinet ministers and the head of Syria’s National Commission for Missing Persons, visited Beirut. According to The Associated Press and other agencies, this marked the first official Syrian visit to Lebanon since insurgent groups overthrew the government of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The delegation’s presence alone was a powerful symbol: for years, official contact between the two countries had been minimal, with only rare exceptions.
Syria’s new interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, is keen to “open a new page” with Lebanon. As reported by AP, al-Sharaa’s administration is eager to pave the way for visits by Syria’s foreign affairs and justice ministers to Beirut, though a date for such a visit has yet to be set. Lebanese officials told AP that this future ministerial visit could represent a genuine breakthrough, potentially healing wounds that have festered for decades.
The core of the new agreement is the formation of two committees. The first will tackle the fate of nearly 2,000 Syrian prisoners currently held in Lebanese jails. Of these, about 800 have been detained for security-related offenses—ranging from attacks to shootings—and, as AP and The National note, many have never faced trial. Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri elaborated, telling The National, “It depends on whether they’ve been sentenced, are they awaiting trial, the kind of crimes committed. So we’re open to discussing the issue, but we have to abide by due process.” The situation is complicated by the fact that some prisoners were convicted on terrorism charges, with many being Islamists—heightening Lebanese fears of extremist attacks.
Lebanon’s prisons, notorious for their overcrowded and cramped conditions, have become a point of concern not just for humanitarian reasons but also for regional security. Syrian authorities, for their part, are seeking the return of these prisoners as part of a broader attempt by both governments to move beyond past animosities. The shared goal, as described by Lebanon’s National News Agency, is to “enhance trust, mutual respect, and a sincere desire for cooperation between the two countries.”
The second committee will focus on Lebanese nationals missing in Syria—some for years or even decades—as well as the countries’ unmarked and porous border. Smuggling, especially of drugs and weapons, is rampant along this frontier. According to The National, Syria’s new rulers have accused Lebanon’s Hezbollah of sponsoring traffickers, while in August Syrian forces seized 60 kilograms of cannabis on the border after an exchange of fire with smugglers fleeing back into Lebanon. Both sides acknowledge that border control and the prevention of smuggling are essential for stability and security.
The talks also addressed the estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees currently residing in Lebanon. These refugees fled the uprising-turned-conflict in Syria over 14 years ago, and their presence has placed immense strain on Lebanon’s already fragile economy and infrastructure. As Devdiscourse and other outlets note, finding a lasting solution for these refugees remains a major challenge, intertwined with broader questions about security, identity, and the future of both countries.
Underlying all of these discussions is the complicated recent history between Lebanon and Syria. The Assad family’s 54-year dynasty in Syria, which ended with Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in 2024, was marked by a deeply unequal relationship. Syria maintained a military presence in Lebanon for nearly three decades, only withdrawing in 2005. Many Lebanese still harbor resentment over this period of domination, while the current Syrian leadership is wary of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah, which fought alongside Assad’s forces during the Syrian civil war.
Yet, since Assad’s fall, there have been signs of a thaw. Two Lebanese prime ministers have visited Syria, and in March 2025, Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa held talks on the sidelines of an Arab summit in Egypt. These meetings, while largely symbolic, set the stage for the more concrete steps announced this week.
One sticking point in the latest talks was the status of bilateral agreements forged during the Assad era. According to Lebanese officials cited by AP, Syria’s delegation wanted to review these old agreements, while Lebanon pushed for entirely new arrangements that would better reflect the current political realities and address unresolved issues. The willingness to negotiate new deals is seen as a sign that both sides are serious about moving forward, rather than simply papering over old grievances.
The establishment of embassies in 2008 had marked Syria’s first official recognition of Lebanon as an autonomous state since the latter’s independence from France in 1943. But true normalization has remained elusive, with periodic flare-ups over issues like refugees, border security, and the legacy of the Syrian military presence in Lebanon. The formation of the new committees could, if successful, lay the groundwork for a more stable and cooperative relationship.
Still, challenges abound. Lebanon’s fragile political system, economic crisis, and the presence of powerful non-state actors like Hezbollah complicate any efforts at reconciliation. Syria, meanwhile, is struggling to assert control after the tumultuous end of the Assad regime, and its new leaders must balance domestic pressures with the need for regional allies. Both countries face external pressures as well, with regional and international actors watching closely to see whether this latest diplomatic initiative will bear fruit.
For ordinary people on both sides of the border, the stakes are deeply personal. Families of missing persons, prisoners, and refugees have waited years—sometimes decades—for answers and justice. Their hopes now rest, at least in part, on the ability of these new committees to deliver tangible results.
As the region watches, Lebanon and Syria are taking cautious but meaningful steps toward resolving some of the most intractable issues dividing them. Whether this marks the beginning of a genuine rapprochement or just another chapter in a long and complicated story remains to be seen. But for the first time in years, there is at least a glimmer of hope that the two countries might find common ground, however tentative, on which to build a more peaceful future.
