As part of the visit undertaken by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the government delegation to the Syrian Arab Republic and his meeting with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, Lebanese Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rassamni held a working meeting with Syrian Transport Minister Dr. Yarub Badr.

The meeting was held in the presence of Director General of Land and Maritime Transport Dr. Ahmad Tamer from the Lebanese side, and Director General of Syrian Customs Dr. Khaled Al-Barad from the Syrian side.

According to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the meeting addressed several issues of mutual interest in land and air transport, border crossings, and logistical cooperation between the two countries, within the context of exploring ways to enhance coordination and develop transport and trade exchange.

On land transport, the two sides discussed the transshipment of goods loaded onto trucks at the border, exploring the possibility of reverting to the provisions of the 1993 agreement signed between the two countries, or adopting special facilities for Lebanese-origin goods, in order to facilitate trade exchange and reduce operational and logistical burdens on the transportation sector.

They also addressed the importance of activating the bilateral agreements signed between the two countries in the fields of transport, transit, and the movement of people and vehicles, as well as enhancing technical cooperation and exchanging expertise, in order to meet current needs and stimulate transit and exchange between Lebanon and Syria.

The meeting also covered cooperation in the civil aviation sector, where coordination with the Syrian side was discussed regarding the project to operate René Moawad Airport in Qleiaat, with tender bids for the project set to be opened due to its importance in strengthening Lebanon’s air transport infrastructure.

They further discussed the resumption of the direct air route between Beirut and Damascus, which was previously used and reduces flight duration between the two airports by about ten minutes, thereby facilitating air traffic and passenger movement, and improving the operational efficiency of flights.