For the First Time: Mikati Communicates with the Syrian Side

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has taken a significant step by directly communicating with the Syrian government for the first time, an interaction previously handled by ministers and security chiefs. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's special advisor Louna al-Shabl revealed that the Syrian Prime Minister, Hussein Arnous, received calls from the Lebanese Prime Minister. This phone communication resulted in an agreement to hold a meeting with the delegation accompanying President Bashar al-Assad at the Arab summit scheduled to take place in the Bahraini capital, Manama, at the leaders' level next Thursday, "to discuss matters concerning the people of both countries," according to al-Shabl. This meeting represents an important development in Lebanese-Syrian relations at the official level, especially as the issue of Syrian refugees has risen to the forefront of Lebanese concerns. Notably, the Lebanese government did not announce the communications with the Syrian government leadership.