October 10, 2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received at the Grand Serail the Syrian Minister of Culture, Muhammad Yassin Saleh, where they discussed bilateral relations between Lebanon and Syria and ways to enhance joint cooperation, especially in the cultural sector.
The Syrian Minister’s visit to the Grand Serail came on the occasion of his participation in the opening of the Beirut Arab and International Book Fair, in the presence of the Lebanese Minister of Culture, Ghassan Salama, and the Syrian Chargé d’Affaires in Lebanon, Iyad Al-Hazza.
During the meeting, Minister Saleh presented a Damascene sword to Prime Minister Salam, giving a speech in which he said: “It is appropriate for the Damascene sword to return to its sheath in pride after the liberation of Syria. The battle of institutional construction and establishment has begun, and we are partners in construction, and we are concerned that fraternal relations are built in parallel with the construction of institutions.”
For his part, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stressed the importance of establishing Lebanese-Syrian relations on the foundations of mutual respect for the sovereignty and independence of the two countries, stressing the necessity of strengthening cooperation between their institutions. He pointed out that the historical and cultural ties that bring together the two peoples constitute a solid basis for developing cooperation in the fields of culture, arts and various other sectors.
This meeting comes within the ongoing series of official contacts and meetings between Beirut and Damascus, which aim to organize and develop bilateral relations through official institutional channels.
