Lebanon and Syria sign border demarcation agreement, easing tensions after fall of Assad

Lebanon and Syria have signed an agreement on border demarcation and boosting coordination between the two countries regarding security along their tense frontier, the Saudi Press Agency reports.

The deal signed by the Lebanese and Syrian defense ministers in Saudi Arabia late in the day yesterday came after clashes in border areas earlier this month left several people dead and dozens wounded on both sides.

The plan for border demarcation also comes after the ouster in early December of the 54-year Assad family rule in Syria, leading to tensions along the frontier where Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group was active on both sides of the border during Syria’s 14-year civil war.

Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa was scheduled to visit the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Wednesday, but the visit was canceled.

Menassa and his Syrian counterpart, Murhaf Abu Qasra, later flew to Jiddah in Saudi Arabia yesterday, where they held talks attended by Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman and signed the deal.

The Saudi agency says the Lebanese and Syrian ministers signed an agreement in which both sides agreed on the “strategic importance of demarcating their border,” and the formation of legal and specialized committees in different fields. It adds that both countries agreed to “activate coordination mechanisms” to deal with any security challenges along the border.

It says Saudi Arabia backs security and stability in both countries, which boosts regional security.