Syria said on Friday during a visit to Beirut by a delegation headed by Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani that it had reached an agreement with Lebanon to transfer Syrian prisoners not convicted of murder.
Mohammed Taha Al Ahmad, director of the Arab Affairs Department at the Syrian Foreign Ministry, told state-run Al Ekhbariah TV that “we have reached an agreement to hand over Syrian prisoners, except those whose crimes involved shedding innocent blood”.
Mr Al Shibani met Lebanese officials in Beirut, becoming the most senior figure from Syria's new government to visit Lebanon since the fall of the Assad regime last December.
Damascus and Beirut are seeking a new era in relations, which have long been turbulent and characterised by Syria's dominance over Lebanese affairs and its 1976 to 2005 occupation of Lebanon.
The fate of Syria’s prisoners in Lebanon is at the heart of efforts to re-establish relations between the two countries after more than 50 years.
Lebanon holds about 2,000 Syrians in its overcrowded jails and has said it is open to initiatives that would ease the burden, including repatriating some inmates depending on their crimes.
Hundreds of Syrian prisoners, accused of terrorism or related offences − including attacks on Lebanese forces − have been brought before military courts.
Some were members of Syrian rebel groups, including Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, which led the offensive that toppled the Assad regime.
Many others have not faced trial.
“Among the most prominent issues is the acceleration of the matter of Syrian detainees in Roumieh Prison, where we made significant progress today on this file,” Mr Al Shibani said after meeting Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
He was speaking alongside Lebanon's Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, who oversees Lebanese-Syrian relations.
'New approach'
Mr Al Shibani said his visit sought to express “Syria's new approach towards Lebanon”.
Syria wants to “overcome past obstacles and strengthen bilateral relations”, he said, conceding that both sides had been “victims of political mismanagement at certain times”.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said after meeting Mr Al Shibani that Syria had pledged to “respect the Lebanese state and not interfere in its internal affairs”.
But Mr Rajji also said the neighbours were forging a “new path”.
The Syrian delegation, which included Justice Minister Mazhar Al Wais and intelligence chief Hussein Al Salama, also met President Joseph Aoun.
Mr Al Shibani and the Lebanese officials he met all spoke of opening a “new page” in relations between the two neighbours.
“The idea of having a meeting has been circulating ever since the Assad regime was toppled,” said a source close to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry.
“There are a lot of files that require joint work – border control, Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Syrian prisoners here and the Lebanese who committed crimes and fled to Syria,” said the source, referring to those such as Habib Shartouni, a Lebanese citizen convicted of killing former president-elect Bachir Gemayel in 1982.
“There are lots of things to be worked on. Today's meeting needed to happen,” they added.
Lebanon has also long hosted more than a million Syrians who fled their country's civil war, though the United Nations refugee agency says more than 294,000 have returned home this year.
After meeting Mr Aoun, Mr Al Shibani said the refugee issue would be resolved gradually.
“There are plans that we are discussing now, with international support, for the dignified and stable return” of refugees, he said.
Mr Aoun has met Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara on the sidelines of regional summits in Cairo and Doha this year, and invited him to visit Lebanon.
Beirut is also seeking information on Lebanese missing in Syria as well as intelligence on the political assassinations of Lebanese officials that were blamed on the Assad regime or its allies.
Mr Rajji has also confirmed that officials are seeking to finally demarcate the vast and porous Lebanese-Syrian border, which has long been a flashpoint for clashes, with periodic exchanges of fire and infiltration attempts, particularly in the north-eastern Bekaa Valley.
In March 2025, the two countries signed an agreement to demarcate the border and enhance security co-ordination, aiming to prevent disputes and curb illicit activities, including smuggling.
Hezbollah, the Lebanese political party and armed group, has been heavily involved in cross-border smuggling, primarily to move weapons and military supplies. But the militant group, which was a key backer of the Assad regime, has been severely weakened after its war with Israel last year and is now under intense pressure to disarm.
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
As You Were
Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The%20specs%3A%20Taycan%20Turbo%20GT
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Founder: Ayman Badawi
Date started: Test product September 2016, paid launch January 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software
Size: Seven employees
Funding: $170,000 in angel investment
Funders: friends
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
