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Damascus: Syrian President Bashar Al Assad issued a decree on Tuesday to establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon for the first time since the two Arab neighbours won independence from France in the 1940s.
The decree, which formalises decisions taken jointly with Lebanon, encouraged by France over the past few months, instructs the Syrian foreign ministry to establish an embassy in Beirut, without specifying a date.
Al Assad's decree, carried by the official Syrian news agency Sana, said that a "diplomatic mission for the Syrian Arab Republic at the embassy level will be established in the Lebanese capital". It did not provide details or say when the embassy would open.
But a Syrian Foreign Ministry official said it will happen before the end of the year.
Embassy 'soon'
"There will be a Syrian embassy and an ambassador in Lebanon soon and before the end of the year," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
MP Walid Junblatt hailed Al Assad's announcement establishing diplomatic ties and said he hoped border demarcation would be soon finalised, according to reports from Naharnet.
Shortly after the announcement in Damascus on Tuesday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said a similar decree has been issued in Lebanon for the establishment of a Lebanese embassy in Syria.
Salloukh said he would visit Damascus today to discuss the mechanism for establishing ties with his Syrian counterpart Walid Al Mua'allem.
The Damascus government has been under Western pressure to take steps viewed as recognition of Lebanon's sovereignty, including opening diplomatic relations.
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