Syria, Lebanon agree to establish diplomatic ties

Syria, Lebanon agree to establish diplomatic ties (NSI News Source Info) DAMASCUS, August 14, 2008 - The Syrian and Lebanese presidents have agreed to establish full diplomatic relations between their countries for the first time since gaining independence from French rule, a Syrian presidential advisor said. The decision was made following a meeting between Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, who arrived in Damascus on Wednesday, and his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, Buthaina Shaaban said. "After the talks the presidents agreed to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries at the ambassadorial level in line with the UN Charter and international law," the official said. Since both countries gained independence from France in 1943 neither side has opened a diplomatic mission and no ambassadorial exchange has taken place between the countries. The Lebanese and Syrian foreign ministers have been instructed to launch the necessary procedures to establish diplomatic ties. Lebanese-Syrian relations plummeted to a low after the 2005 assassination of former Prime Lebanese Minister Rafik Hariri, which was widely blamed on Damascus and its Lebanese allies. Syria strongly denied any involvement in the killing. The countries, which have been under pressure from the West, confirmed their readiness to establish diplomatic ties in late July during the sidelines of a summit in Paris. The future agenda includes the thorny issue of the demarcation of borders between Syria and Lebanon, which has yet to be agreed between both sides, giving rise to numerous local disputes between Syrian and Lebanese landowners.