Lebanon and Syria to demarcate border, normalise ties

DAMASCUS - Syria and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to take formal steps to demarcate their borders as part of a string of decisions to normalise their relations for the first time after decades of tension.

The announcement came as President Michel Sleiman wrapped up a landmark two-day visit to Damascus – the first by a Lebanese president since Syria ended almost 30 years of military domination over Lebanon in April 2005.

The two countries also pledged to examine the fate of hundreds of people missing since the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war – amid claims by human rights groups that around 650 people who vanished during the war are being held in Syria.

Sleiman and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also agreed to control their borders and curb "trafficking", it was announced at a news conference by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem and Lebanese counterpart Fawzi Salukh.

But a joint statement read at the conference made no mention of weapons which Lebanon's anti-Syrian ruling majority says flow across the border and are intended for the Syria- and Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

Relations between Lebanon and Syria have been tense since Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri was killed in a massive Beirut bomb attack in February 2005. Damascus has denied any responsibility despite claims by Lebanese anti-Syrian groups.

Assad and Sleiman agreed "on setting up diplomatic relations between the two countries at the level of ambassadors," the statement said, reiterating an announcement made at the start of Sleiman's visit on Wednesday.

Salukh said the two countries will take steps next week to implement the decisions.

Syria and Lebanon have not had diplomatic ties since independence from French colonial power – Lebanon in 1943 and Syria in 1946 – but Assad and Sleiman agreed to establish relations during talks last month in Paris.

The United States has cautiously welcomed the establishment of diplomatic ties between Syria and Lebanon.

"One of the steps that has long been required is the establishment of a proper embassy for Syria in Lebanon and vice versa," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday.

"Now, if the Syrians will go ahead and demarcate the border between Lebanon and Syria, and respect (Lebanon's) sovereignty in other ways, then this will have proved to be a very good step," she added.

Lebanon and Syria said they agreed "to reactivate the work of the joint committee to demarcate the Lebanese-Syrian borders within a mechanism and a set of priorities" and would take "administrative and technical steps."

The borders are poorly delimited in certain places, particularly the Shebaa Farms, a mountainous sliver of land rich in water resources located at the junction of southeast Lebanon, southwest Syria and northern Israel.

The 25-square-kilometre (10 square mile) tract of farming land was seized by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and is now claimed by Beirut, with the backing of Damascus.

Israel says they are part of Syria.

But Muallem insisted that Israel must end its occupation of the Shebaa Farms before the border can be marked.

"It is not possible to mark the borders in Shebaa Farms as long as there is still Israeli occupation. The occupation must end," Muallem said.

Syria and Lebanon also agreed "to activate and step up the work of the joint committee on people missing from both countries" since the Lebanese civil war, pledging to take steps capable of "reaching results as soon as possible."

In addition, they decided to review bilateral agreements between the two countries and take steps to bolster two-way trade.