Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, as Beirut and Damascus work to establish a new framework for relations based on trust, non-interference and shared interests.

The meeting was attended by Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji and his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shaibani.

Speaking in a televised statement after the meeting, Salam said Lebanon had been working for some time to “turn a new page” with Syria and build relations between the two countries on a new basis.

“We have been working for some time to turn a new page with our Syrian brothers and to build relations between our two countries on the basis of trust, non-interference in internal affairs and shared interests,” Salam said.

The two sides also discussed completing a review of bilateral agreements in preparation for the first meeting of a joint Lebanese-Syrian Higher Committee established in Beirut.

Salam said the review was necessary to ensure that the committee’s creation translated into concrete steps rather than remaining “merely on paper.”

He said the meeting of the committee could take place at the beginning of next month or, if that was not possible, the following month.

The Lebanese and Syrian leaders also discussed strengthening regional connectivity projects, particularly in electricity, railways and energy.

Salam said such projects were important because they served the shared interests of both countries.

The talks come as Beirut seeks to redefine its relationship with Damascus while pursuing greater regional cooperation on economic and infrastructure projects.

Salam Meets Lavrov

Separately, Salam met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York, also in the presence of Raggi.

The discussions covered bilateral relations between Lebanon and Russia and ways to strengthen them, as well as the latest developments in Lebanon and the wider region.

Salam also raised the future of the international presence in southern Lebanon after the end of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

He stressed the importance of maintaining an international presence in the south, saying it would help preserve stability and ensure the continuation of monitoring, reporting and communication functions.

Such a presence would also support efforts to extend the authority of the Lebanese state across all of its territory, Salam said.