ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited Damascus on Saturday and held talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, as the two neighboring countries seek to strengthen cooperation amid growing regional uncertainty.
Salam was received at the People’s Palace in the Syrian capital alongside ministerial delegations from both countries, according to a statement from the Syrian presidency. The talks focused on boosting bilateral ties, enhancing economic and trade cooperation, and increasing security coordination to support regional stability.
The visit comes at a sensitive time for both countries and the wider Middle East. Syria is attempting to recover economically and diplomatically after more than a decade of conflict and international isolation, while Lebanon continues to grapple with a deep financial crisis, political paralysis, and growing security concerns along its borders.
Damascus and Beirut also face mounting regional challenges linked to tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, as instability across the Levant continues to affect trade routes, border security, and energy supplies.
According to the Syrian presidency, the two sides exchanged views on regional and international developments and discussed issues of common interest.
"We visited Damascus to continue consultations and work on strengthening Lebanese-Syrian relations across all fronts, relations built on trust and mutual respect for the sovereignty of the two countries and on shared interests," the Lebanese prime minister said in a statement.