Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani began his official tour in Beirut with a meeting at Baabda Palace with President Joseph Aoun, in the presence of delegations from both countries.

Al-Shaibani’s visit includes meetings with Lebanon’s three top officials, and he is also scheduled to meet his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Rajji, along with other political leaders.

President Aoun shaking hands with Al-Shaibani at Baabda Palace (Hussam Shbaro).

In his second stop, Al-Shaibani met Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri at the second presidency headquarters in Ain El-Tineh.

Following the meeting, Al-Shaibani responded to a question about whether concerns had been allayed, saying: “We did not discuss Hezbollah, and the discussion focused on how to develop relations between the two countries.”

He also told journalists at Ain El-Tineh: “There is no meeting with Hezbollah today due to the schedule, but we are open to this subject in the future if it serves the interests of both countries.”

Al-Shaibani meets Berri in Ain El-Tineh (Houssam Shbaro).

In his third stop, Al-Shaibani and his delegation arrived at the Grand Serail in Beirut, where he met Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

Al-Shibani meeting with President Nawaf Salam (Hussam Shbaro).

According to Syrian diplomatic sources, the visit is part of a political move aimed at opening a new chapter in Syrian-Lebanese relations.

During his meetings, Al-Shaibani is expected to present a Syrian political initiative focused on assisting the Lebanese state in consolidating arms under state control through a consensual political path, in order to avoid any internal conflict or security division in Lebanon.

Damascus believes this issue should be addressed through dialogue and national understanding, rather than through imposed realities that could lead to internal unrest, according to the same sources.

The sources added that the meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri carries particular significance, focusing on easing internal tensions and exploring Syria’s potential contribution, in coordination with Arab and regional partners, to contain any tensions that may accompany the upcoming phase, and to prevent Lebanon from sliding into internal clashes amid ongoing regional transformations.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani and his delegation meet President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace (Hussam Shbaro).

Al-Shaibani to Pray at the Salam Mosque in Tripoli in Tribute to Bombing Victims

Al-Shaibani is also scheduled to visit Tripoli in northern Lebanon on Friday, where he will perform Friday prayers at the Salam Mosque, followed by a tour of the old markets, without any scheduled meetings with political leaders or local authorities.

Al-Shaibani in Beirut (Houssam Shbaro).

The visit appears to carry more political messages than a purely protocolary one. The choice of the Salam Mosque in particular, associated with one of the deadliest bombings in Lebanon during the Syrian war, places the visit in a strongly symbolic context.

The location remains present in the collective memory of Tripoli residents as a witness to a violent period in the relationship with the former Syrian regime. For this reason, the presence of the first foreign minister representing the new Syria at this mosque is seen by many as a gesture of justice for the victims of the bombing.