Description:
A news report on the major development in Lebanese-Syrian ties in recent weeks, symbolised by the first official visit of a high-ranking delegation from Beirut to Damascus in 10 years.
Source: Al Mayadeen TV (YouTube)
Date: September 4, 2021
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Transcript:
Reporter:
This is the first official visit of such a high-level Lebanese delegation to Syria in 10 years. The wall of isolation between Beirut and Damascus is (finally) cracking. A new path is being followed to confront the US (economic) siege (on both states) and rebuild relations between the two countries.
The foreign, energy, and finance ministers, along with other officials from the two states, have spent two hours in the Syrian foreign ministry discussing the process of importing Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity to Lebanon through Syria. Damascus was quick to welcome (this step) and has confirmed its willingness to cooperate.
Nasri Khoury, Secretary General of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council:
The Lebanese side asked for Syria’s assistance to transit Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity through Syrian territory. The Syrian side welcomed the request and affirmed Syria’s readiness to meet it. The two parties agreed to follow up on the detailed technical aspects through a joint technical team that will deal with technical issues in both countries.
Reporter:
The exceptional meeting was not a coincidence. It was the result of a number of contextual elements, the most important of which is the resistance’s (i.e. Hezbollah’s) move to break the American siege and arrange for the shipment of Iranian fuel to Lebanon through Syria, thus breaking the siege regime (imposed by the US) in its various forms.
Washington has realized that it cannot continue with this harsh siege against Lebanon and Syria, especially since the Lebanese parties, who have long called for opening channels with Syria to prevent a total collapse, are now putting their words into actions. They are heading towards solutions to end the estrangement that was a part of the 10-year war against Syria. This rhetoric is gaining more momentum in Lebanon and even more conviction in Syria. The two states are indispensable to each other, whether in times of peace or war.
The undeniable common interests between Syria and Lebanon return to the surface, reinforced by far-reaching changes in the regional scene based on a new belief: Washington’s will is not ‘destiny’, and that the political and economic cards (today) are held by those who were not broken by the ten-year war (on Syria), and have begun to take advantage of those cards via land and sea.
Dima Nassif, Damascus, Al Mayadeen
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