Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam praised the recent statements of Syrian President Ahmed Sharif during a phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister Esad Sheibani.
A written statement from the Lebanese Prime Minister's Office said Salam described Sharif's televised statements as a 'fraternal and sincere stance'. According to Salam, these statements put an end to false assumptions and speculation about Syria's intentions towards Lebanon.
Statements by the Syrian President
In a previous television interview, Syrian President Ahmed Sharif spoke about US President Donald Trump potentially assigning a role to Syria. Sharif said Trump mentioned 'handing over the Hezbollah file to Syria and empowering Syrian President Ahmed Sharif,' but these remarks were misunderstood and interpreted as 'Damascus preparing to enter Lebanon militarily.'
Sharif stated that Syria's vision for a solution was developed in coordination with the United States and is based first on stopping the war, then addressing the political, economic, and social impacts on both countries.
The Syrian President also confirmed that Syria is ready to sit with all Lebanese parties, including Hezbollah, provided it serves the interests of Syria and Lebanon.
Developments in relations
Syrian-Lebanese relations have seen a notable development since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. Lebanese Prime Minister Salam visited Damascus last May to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and ways to enhance economic and trade cooperation between the two countries with Sharif. Salam had also visited the Syrian capital a month earlier, in April 2025.
The Prime Minister's Office statement noted that Salam's phone call with Foreign Minister Sheibani was an opportunity to confirm the solidity of the relationship between the two brotherly countries and to emphasize the necessity of continuing to work on a new ground for state-to-state cooperation based on common interests.
