Lebanon and Syria agreed Monday to set up joint committees to tackle border security and the fate of missing persons, signaling a rare moment of cooperation between the two neighbors after years of tension. The talks took place in Beirut between a Syrian delegation led by Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, director of Arab affairs at Syria’s Foreign Ministry, and Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the two sides reviewed cases of Syrian detainees and missing persons in Lebanon, as well as Lebanese citizens unaccounted for in Syria. They also pledged to work together on border control, curb smuggling, and discuss the eventual return of Syrian refugees.
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The refugee issue loomed large over the discussions. Lebanon is home to more than 2 million Syrians, the highest per capita refugee population in the world. Economic collapse and mounting political pressure have fueled calls to accelerate returns.
At a separate meeting in Beirut on Monday, Deputy High Commissioner for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly T. Clements told Prime Minister Nawaf Salam that more than 200,000 Syrians have already returned from Lebanon, with another 200,000 expected to follow by the end of the year.
Lebanon’s General Security Directorate has long argued that the refugee burden is unsustainable. While Damascus has encouraged repatriations, rights groups warn that returnees risk detention or persecution under President Bashar Assad’s government. The new committees could provide a framework for dialogue, though it remains uncertain whether cooperation will translate into meaningful progress.