Syria wants new chapter in ties with Lebanon

The two men also discussed the issue of the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, the delineation of the border between both countries and the fate of hundreds of Lebanese who vanished during Syria’s rule in Lebanon.

“There is nothing to prevent the demarcation of the borders but we must take into account the fact that many Syrian and Lebanese villages are intertwined and whether this would harm residents,” Muallem said.

“Still, if we must delineate the border, we are ready.”

He added that placing the disputed Shebaa Farms in southern Lebanon under UN administration would in no way signify an end to Israel’s occupation of that area.

The Shebaa Farms, a mountainous sliver of land rich in water resources measuring 25 square kilometres, are located at the junction of southeast Lebanon, southwest Syria and northern Israel.

Israel seized the Farms from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war when it captured the neighbouring Golan Heights which it later annexed.