Lebanon ready to demarcate border with Syria, president says

BEIRUT/ ISTANBUL

Lebanon is ready to demarcate its border with Syria, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Friday, noting that resolving the dispute over the Shebaa Farms can be deferred to a later stage.

Speaking during his meeting with a media delegation in Beirut, Aoun said the pace of bilateral relations between Lebanon and Syria is “slow but moving toward improvement.”

“Lebanon is calling for activating the judicial agreement between the two countries to address the issue of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons,” he added in his comments cited by a presidency statement.

He revealed that France has handed Lebanon maps related to the border with Syria.

“We are ready for the border demarcation whenever Damascus decides, and the Lebanese committee is prepared for that.”

Aoun said the issue of the Shebaa Farms will be “left until the end,” with the possibility of forming two separate committees to demarcate the maritime and land borders.

The Shebaa Farms are disputed between Syria and Lebanon. They have remained under Israeli control since Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, considering them Syrian territory, while Beirut insists they are Lebanese.

The Lebanese-Syrian border consists of mountains, valleys, and plains, with no markers or signs indicating the dividing line between the two countries, which are linked by six land border crossings along a stretch of about 375 kilometers.

Since Lebanon and Syria gained independence from France (1920–1946), border demarcation has remained a troubling issue for both sides, periodically giving rise to diplomatic tensions and armed clashes, as well as smuggling problems between the two countries.

Hezbollah arms

Aoun said the duties of the Lebanese army are “not limited to Hezbollah’s weapons.”

“The army’s duties also include combating drugs, fighting terrorism, securing the borders, and maintaining internal security,” he said.

Regarding the implementation of a government decision to restrict weapons to the army north of the Litani River, Aoun said that he and the government “were the first to raise and decide on this matter.”

“The army does not focus its efforts in the south alone, but is deployed across all Lebanese regions and carries out its duties in full. What matters is that the decision has been taken, it is being implemented, and we will continue with its execution.”

The Lebanese government on Aug. 5 approved a plan, based on a draft proposal presented by US Special Envoy Tom Barrack, to place all weapons—including those held by Hezbollah—under state control and tasked the army with implementing the plan before the end of 2025.

Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected the move and insists that Israeli forces must fully withdraw from Lebanese territory before laying down arms.