Syrian FM Asaad al‑Shaibani visits Lebanon, open to Hezbollah talks

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al‑Shaibani made his second official visit to Lebanon, meeting President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and other senior Lebanese officials. During the trip he said Damascus is prepared to engage in dialogue with Iran‑backed Hezbollah if national interests require it, while emphatically stating that Syria has no intention of sending troops across the border.

The visit also saw the signing of a high‑level cooperation committee agreement between Syria and Lebanon and included an invitation from President Ahmed al‑Sharaa for President Aoun to visit Damascus – the first such invitation under the new Syrian administration.

By holding the talks and signalling openness to Hezbollah, the Syrian delegation aims to reassure Lebanon that the new Syrian government will not intervene militarily, marking a shift in Damascus’s regional diplomacy after years of conflict with the group.