Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel received a phone call from Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during which the two discussed the ongoing war in the region and the future of relations between Lebanon and Syria.

According to a statement from the Kataeb Party, the call lasted more than an hour and took place in what it described as a “very positive and reassuring” atmosphere, raising hopes of opening a new chapter in relations between the two neighboring countries.

During the call, al-Sharaa said ties between Lebanon and Syria should be based on mutual respect between the two states, along with cooperation and economic integration that serve the interests of both peoples.

He also emphasized that the significant Syrian military presence along the borders with Lebanon and Iraq is aimed solely at securing Syria’s frontiers and maintaining stability.

Gemayel, for his part, stressed the importance of establishing a healthy and normal relationship between Lebanon and Syria after decades marked by strained ties and tensions. He said he felt, for the first time, that there was a genuine opportunity to move beyond years of conflict toward a positive and constructive relationship between the two countries.

The Kataeb leader also asked the Syrian president for Damascus’s cooperation in clarifying the fate of Lebanese detainees held in Syrian prisons, foremost among them Boutros Khawand, a member of the party’s political bureau.

He further called for assistance in identifying those responsible for a series of political assassinations in Lebanon in which the Assad regime had been implicated, particularly the killings of minister Pierre Gemayel and lawmaker Antoine Ghanem.

Gemayel also asked for help in determining the whereabouts of Habib Shartouni, the assassin of former Lebanese president Bachir Gemayel.

At the end of the call, the two sides agreed to keep communication channels open and to continue coordinating on matters that serve the interests, stability, and prosperity of both countries.