Lebanese President: Our Relations with Syria Are Moving Slowly, and We Are Ready to Demarcate the Border
Welat TV – Erbil
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that relations with Syria are “moving slowly but developing in a positive direction,” noting that Lebanon’s demand regarding detained Syrians is to activate the judicial agreement between the two countries, and affirming that Lebanon is ready to demarcate the border.
His remarks came during a meeting with a delegation from the association “Journalists for Freedom” on Friday, December 12, 2025, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese Presidency.
Aoun stated that a draft agreement concerning the file of missing Syrians had been presented to the Syrian side, but stressed that individuals accused of fighting the Lebanese army cannot be handed over, noting that the agreement is limited to the transfer of convicted persons only.
Lebanon Ready to Demarcate the Border
The Lebanese president emphasized that relations with Syria are good and progressing slowly, expressing Lebanon’s readiness to demarcate the Lebanese-Syrian border whenever Damascus decides to do so.
He pointed out that France has provided Beirut with maps related to the border, and that the Lebanese committee is prepared to begin the demarcation process, while leaving the issue of the Shib'a Farms for a later stage.
Reviving Bilateral Relations
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani paid an official visit to the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on October 10, where he met with his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Rajji and President Joseph Aoun, as part of efforts to revive and strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
The issue of Syrians detained in Lebanese prisons, along with the file of Lebanese missing persons in Syria, the presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and matters related to border demarcation and security, remain among the most prominent unresolved issues between the two sides, despite reciprocal visits and repeated assurances of resolving outstanding disputes.