Lebanon’s Prime Minister Meets With Syrian Leader
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The visit by Prime Minister Najib Mikati was the first official trip by the Lebanese leader to meet with the new government of Syria.
The Lebanese prime minister on Saturday headed to the Syrian capital, Damascus, for the first official visit to meet with the new government there, after clashes along the countries’ shared border left several Lebanese soldiers wounded last week.
The prime minister, Najib Mikati, spoke with Ahmad al-Shara, the leader of the new Syrian government, on Saturday afternoon, according to the Lebanese prime minister’s office. Mr. al-Shara leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group that spearheaded the lightning offensive that toppled the decades-long rule of Bashar al-Assad, the former Syrian president, last month.
Mr. Mikati’s visit came after the election of Joseph Aoun as Lebanon’s president this week after two years in which the office lay vacant. Mr. Aoun will soon begin consultations on nominating a new prime minister next week.
In Syria, Mr. al-Shara faces the challenge of imposing order on a country that has been devastated by 14 years of civil war that split it into multiple warring regions and spurred a proliferation of armed groups.
Lebanon, like other countries on Syria’s borders, fears that its internal chaos could spill over into its territory. Last week, at least five Lebanese soldiers were wounded in clashes along the Syrian border after Syrian militants fired at Lebanese soldiers. The Lebanese military said its troops were trying to shut down an illegal border crossing in the area.
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