Tehran, IRNA – Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has met with the head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group Abu Mohammad al-Julani on a first trip by a Lebanese prime minister to Syria in 15 years.
Mikati and Julani, who is Syria’s de-facto leader, addressed a joint press conference in the Syrian capital, Damascus, after the meeting on Saturday.
The Lebanese leader said Beirut and Damascus would work together to secure and clearly mark their shared borders.
Julani said they exchanged views on various issues, including border challenges and mutual ties.
He said that he expected “long-term strategic relations” with Lebanon, adding, “We and Lebanon have great shared interests.”
The meeting came a month after militant groups led by the HTS took control of Damascus and declared an end to President Bashar al-Assad’s rule in a surprise operation that overthrew the Syrian government in less than two weeks.
Lebanon itself elected Joseph Aoun as its new president on Thursday, putting an end to a two-year-long political deadlock in the country.
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