Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (L) and his visiting Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman review an honour guard in Damascus August 13, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    DAMASCUS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Syria and Lebanon agreed to resume a joint committee to demarcate their borders on Thursday, a day after the leaders of the two neighboring nations formally declare to establish diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level.

    Demarcation of the borders was agreed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his visiting Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman, said a joint statement issued after their second day of meeting.

    The statement was read out at a joint press conference by foreign ministers of the two countries, Syria's Walid al-Muallem and Lebanon's Fawzi Salukh.

    The two presidents agreed on the resumption of the joint committee for delimitation and demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian borders and necessary administrative and technical procedures would be taken to direct it, said the statement.

    The two sides also agreed to take joint action to control the borders and combat smuggling and all acts contrary to the law in both countries, said the statement.

    Meanwhile, they also agreed to examine another thorny issue of the missing persons of both countries and review previous bilateral agreements objectively, which some Lebanese factions complain is too favorable to Syria.

    Suleiman arrived in Damascus earlier on Wednesday for a groundbreaking two-day visit to Syria.

    It is his first ever visit to Syria after he took the presidency in late May and also the first by a Lebanese president to Damascus since his predecessor, former Lebanese President Emile Lahoud's visit in March 2005.

    Syria and Lebanon have not established diplomatic relations since their independence from the French colonial rule in the 1940s.

    Bilateral ties between the two neighbors have been chilled since the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005, which many blamed Damascus for being behind, but Syria denied any role.

    Syria, a former power-broker in Lebanon, was forced to withdraw its forces from its smaller neighbor shortly after the killing, ending its nearly three-decade military presence there.

    Damascus was accused of interfering in the Lebanese affairs and being responsible for a series of assassinations of anti-Syrian politicians in Lebanon afterwards, which Syria also denied.

    Syria supports the Lebanese opposition in the parliament, led by Shiite Hezbollah movement, which has been competing for power with the majority backed by the West.

    The tension of relations between Syria and Lebanon abated after rival Lebanese parties secured an agreement in Doha in May to elect Michel Suleiman as president and establish a new government.

    Damascus was deemed to have played a constructive role in reaching the agreement.  

Syria, Lebanon declare to establish diplomatic relations

    DAMASCUS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Syria and Lebanon agreed on Wednesday to establish diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level, said a declaration following the summit of Syrian President Basharal-Assad and his visiting Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman.

    The agreement was achieved "in the framework of strengthening fraternal relations between the two countries and as a result of the talks held by Presidents Bashar al-Assad and Michel Suleiman on Aug. 13, 2008," said the declaration, quoted by the official SANA news agency. Full story

Lebanese president starts groundbreaking visit to Syria

    DAMASCUS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Suleiman arrived in Damascus on Wednesday for a groundbreaking visit to Syria.

    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife received their Lebanese counterparts at the Damascus International Airport, according to the official SANA news agency. Full story