Syria welcomes Hezbollah-appointed Lebanese official in first since Assad regime
Hezbollah-appointed Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar visited Syria on Monday alongside three other Lebanese ministers, marking the first time a Hezbollah official has been formally welcomed in Damascus since the fall of the Assad regime.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani welcomed the delegation after they crossed through the Masnaa-Jdeidet Yabous border crossing, the same crossing that was closed in April over Israeli allegations that Hezbollah was using it to smuggle weapons.
Joining Haidar, Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar, Education Minister Rima Karameh and Social Development Minister Haneen Sayed traveled for a high-level meeting in Syria to discuss the issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, trade agreements and border security, according to the Syrian foreign ministry.
Despite Damascus repeatedly accusing Hezbollah of infringing on its sovereignty, alleging as recently as September that cells from the Iran-backed group have planned sabotage attacks, and the fact that Hezbollah backed the former Assad regime, a representative from Hezbollah told L’Orient Today that Damascus was made aware in advance of Haidar’s background.
“We support anything that strengthens relations between the two countries,” the representative said.
A Syrian official said Hezbollah’s representatives had not given a direct answer on the request to halt arms smuggling and dismantle its Syria-based cells, but did pledge not to interfere in Syria’s affairs. Both Syria and Turkey have denied the report.
