Its de facto leader Syria Ahmad al-Sara and his prime minister Lebanon Najib Mikati reaffirmed today from Damascus that the two countries are committed to building ties of strategic importance, after decades of “difficult” relations between them.

The first visit by a Lebanese prime minister to Syria since 2011 comes as the two countries attempt to mend their relationship following the December 8 fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Sarah called for “forgetting” the “spirit of old relations” and “giving an opportunity” to the two peoples to build “positive relations (…) based on respect and the national sovereignty of the two states.”

“We will try to solve all problems through dialogue,” he assured.

Sara also estimated that the election of Joseph Aoun to the presidency of Lebanon will lead to a “stable situation” in that country.

Mikati said new relations between Damascus and Beirut should be based on “mutual respect, equality and national sovereignty.”

“Syria is Lebanon’s natural gateway to the Arab world, and as long as it does well, Lebanon will do well,” he added.

Syria was for three decades the dominant political and military power in Lebanon, where it intervened during the civil war (1975-1990). Many assassinations of Lebanese politicians are attributed to the Syrian regime. Its army withdrew in 2005 due to local and international pressure following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Following the recent developments in both countries, their leaders now hope to open a new chapter in their relations and resolve outstanding issues.

Mikati underlined that the return of the Syrian refugees is “urgent”, implying that he saw a will on the part of Sarah to solve this issue. He also said his priority was to define their land and sea borders, announcing that a joint committee would be formed to look into the matter while efforts would be made to tackle smuggling.

Sara, however, clarified that his government’s priority is the situation inside the country and maintaining order.

Syria, which shares a 330-kilometer border with Lebanon, has repeatedly refused to demarcate the border with the neighboring country, making the area a hotbed for smugglers.