Syria and Lebanon aim for deals on prisons and smuggling

Talks in Beirut as two countries try to overcome past differences

Lebanese police block a road to a prison near Beirut during a protest by inmates' families last week. EPA

Syria and Lebanon hope to strike two deals on returning prisoners home and preventing smuggling across their border, they announced on Monday.

One "judicial agreement" could see hundreds of Syrian prisoners return from Lebanon, while a second "related to borders" would tackle the trafficking of drugs and weapons.

Two new committees will draft the agreements after a Syrian delegation visited Lebanon's Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri on Monday, Lebanon's National News Agency reported. The texts could then be considered during a "Syrian ministerial visit to Beirut in the near future".

Mr Mitri last week told The National that Lebanon was "open to discussing" the return of more than 2,000 Syrian inmates, as he denied rumours that the Syrian officials' trip had been delayed.

"It depends on whether they’ve been sentenced, are they awaiting trial, the kind of crimes committed. So we’re open to discussing the issue, but we have to abide by due process," he said.

Some Syrian prisoners were convicted on terrorism charges. Lebanon fears attacks by extremist groups. Lebanon's prisons are notorious for their overcrowding and cramped conditions.

Syria is seeking the prisoners' return as new governments in Damascus and Beirut try to put past conflicts aside. The former Assad regime in Syria occupied Lebanon until 2005, while fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah joined the civil war in Syria.

On Monday they discussed how to address issues in a way that "enhances trust, mutual respect, and a sincere desire for co-operation between the two countries", the news agency said. It said the meeting addressed "co-operation in border control and the prevention of smuggling".

Syria's new rulers have accused Lebanon's Hezbollah of sponsoring drugs and weapons traffickers at the border.

Last month Syria seized 60kg of cannabis on the border with Lebanon. The raid involved an "exchange of fire" between Syrian forces and drugs smugglers who fled back into Lebanon, Syrian authorities said.

The Lebanese government estimates about 1.5 million Syrians are in the country in total, though the figures are hard to verify.