Syria voices concern over ‘armed militias operating outside state’s sovereignty in Lebanon’

Syria’s foreign minister expressed concern Monday over “certain armed militias operating outside the state’s sovereignty in Lebanon.”

“We view Lebanon as a partner and neighbor to Syria, and we hope to achieve stability there along with economic cooperation between the two countries,” Asaad al-Shaibani said in statements carried by the Syrian Al-Ikhbariya TV.

Shaibani’s statements came during a joint news conference with EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica on the sidelines of the EU-Syria Partnership Forum in Brussels, Belgium.

Syria is seeking to lay the foundations for long-term institutional cooperation, moving past a relationship centered solely on humanitarian assistance toward a broader partnership driven by shared interests, Shaibani added, as cited by the SANA news agency.

Damascus is engaging with the European countries “with the utmost seriousness,” he stated.

Also on Monday, the EU restored the full application of its cooperation agreement with Syria, marking a further step in rebuilding ties after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The EU Council adopted a decision terminating the partial suspension of the Cooperation Agreement between the European Economic Community and Syria, repealing a 2011 decision that had halted parts of the deal over the Assad regime’s human rights violations.

In December 2024, Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia, bringing an end to the Baath Party’s decades of rule that began in 1963. A transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January 2025.