Syrian and Lebanese security forces are liaising daily on counter-terrorism and other security matters, Lebanon's Interior Minister, Retd Brig Gen Ahmad Al Hajjar, has told The National.
The minister's comments highlight the shift in the relationship between the two neighbours nearly two years after the fall of Bashar Al Assad, whose regime historically viewed Lebanon as falling under its sphere of influence.
He was speaking in Paris while attending a conference to bolster support for Lebanese local authorities in the French Senate.
Lebanon is under immense pressure to broker an agreement to end the war between the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia and Israel, which occupies parts of southern Lebanon.
Syria faces tough security challenges, including from ISIS, as it seeks to address crimes committed by the former Assad regime. Lebanese authorities are willing to co-operate with the Syrian government to arrest supporters of the former regime who fled across the border, Mr Al Hajjar said.
"Relations between Lebanon and Syria are currently very good," Mr Al Hajjar said, adding he recently met Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab.
"There is daily co-ordination between Lebanese and Syrian security forces at all levels - at the level of the fight against drones, at the level of exchange of information, and at the level of the fight against terrorism."
Earlier this month, Lebanon and Syria set up a joint higher committee to strengthen co-operation in a wide range of sectors, including trade, electricity and security.
Syria, which occupied Lebanon from 1976 to 2005, was seeking to overcome its "negative legacy", Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani said at the time.
Balancing act
Syria's new leadership has been walking a fine line between US pressure to counter Iranian influence and reassuring Lebanon that it does not again seek to interfere in local politics. Last month, US President Donald Trump asked Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara to "take care" of Hezbollah.
Mr Al Shara later gave an interview to a Lebanese journalist in which he said Damascus wanted to help Beirut address the issue of Hezbollah without pushing the country into civil war. The powerful militia remains reluctant to lay down its weapons.
Asked about reports of co-operation with Damascus to pursue supporters of the former regime, Mr Al Hajjar said Lebanon was ready to respond to requests for judicial co-operation filed by Syria, as it would for any other state.
"Should we receive requests backed by court orders, Lebanon is, of course, prepared to undertake all necessary co-ordination and procedures. Lebanon is a state governed by the rule of law; the law dictates every action taken by the Ministry of the Interior and all security forces," Mr Al Hajjar said.
"There is co-ordination, there is an exchange of information; once the information is confirmed by judicial decisions, then we intervene immediately."
Syria's former rulers were aligned with Iran and Hezbollah. In recent years there has been a shift in the balance of power in the region, with Syria's new leadership vowing to fight Hezbollah's influence and a new Lebanese government putting forward plans to disarm the group and deploy Lebanese armed forces in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah's historic stronghold.
The group, which also operates as a political party in Lebanon, has been severely weakened by an Israeli offensive in 2024 that killed its senior and mid-level leadership.
But plans to disarm Hezbollah have been derailed by fighting linked to the wider regional unrest caused by the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks against Israel.
Israel and the US have accused Lebanon of moving too slowly in disarming Hezbollah. US-brokered peace talks between Israel and Lebanon have failed so far to yield a breakthrough.
Withdrawal a priority
Israel's full withdrawal from southern Lebanon remains a priority for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who is expected to arrive in Washington on July 21 for his first in-person meeting with US President Donald Trump.
"This is the priority of the Lebanese state, the President of the Republic and the government are making every necessary diplomatic effort to achieve the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanese territory," Mr Al Hajjar said.
"Of course, this is not an easy task to complete; it is demanding and will take time, but it is our objective. We are working from this starting point to deploy the Lebanese army and security forces across our entire territory and to properly control that territory using our own legitimate Lebanese armed forces."
The capital, Beirut, is the "safest place" in Lebanon, Mr Al Hajjar said, with an expanded presence of armed forces that he hopes can be extended across the country. But he added that plans were hindered by what he described as "the Israeli aggression".
He also called on the Lebanese diaspora to continue its tradition of returning to Lebanon for the summer holidays despite the hostilities.
"Lebanon is a safe country," he said. "We have very firm control over the Lebanese security services – the Ministry of the Interior, in co-ordination with the Ministry of Defence – and we have very firm control over our territory."
