Lebanon’s Jumblatt meets leader of new Syrian administration, hopes for better ties

By Stephanie Rady

BEIRUT (AA) – Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt expressed hope on Sunday for improving relations with Syria following the downfall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Jumblatt, leading a Lebanese delegation, met in Damascus with the leader of the new Syrian administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

"We salute the Syrian people for their great victories, and we salute you for your struggle to rid yourselves of oppression and tyranny,” he said during the meeting as cited by the Lebanese state news agency NNA.

"The road is long, and we, along with you, suffer from Israeli expansion,” he said, adding that his Democratic Gathering Party will submit a memorandum to parliament about the Lebanese-Syrian relations.

“We hope the Lebanese-Syrian relations will return to their natural foundations through diplomatic ties, and that all those who committed crimes against the Lebanese people will be held accountable,” he said.

“We also hope for fair trials for those who committed crimes against the Syrian people.”

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala