Lebanon and Syria agreed yesterday to set their tense ties back on track after Damascus withdrew its troops from its tiny neighbour amid furious anti-Syrian protests.

Leading Lebanon's first government since Syria ended its 29-year military presence in April, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to patch up ties a day after winning a confidence vote in parliament.

"The two sides reaffirmed anew their commitment to work to build Syrian-Lebanese relations based on mutual respect, away from anything that could affect the special relations between the two brotherly countries," they said in a joint statement issued after the meeting.

"The brotherly countries are eager to deepen co-operation and interaction, exchange and solidarity through harmonious consultation and sincere and constructive co-operation within the framework of the sovereignty and independence of both."

In his first official visit, Siniora raised the issue of easing Syria's tough new border controls that have brought Lebanese overland exports to a near standstill in recent weeks.

Asked about the long line of trucks straddling the road to the Syrian border post of Jdeideh which he crossed that morning, Siniora said everyone wanted a "swift solution to this problem."

Siniora said in a joint news conference with his Syrian counterpart Naji al-Otari yesterday that the two countries have resolved the issue of border delays that have inflicted heavy financial losses on Lebanese exporters deprived of their only open land route.

Syria says the curbs are a security measure after customs officials found explosives on a truck bound for its territory.

But the Lebanese see the step as retaliation for the anti-Syrian sentiment unleashed by the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in a Beirut car bombing in February.

Otari was expected to ask for compensation for Syrian workers killed, injured or dismissed from their jobs during the political turmoil that followed Hariri's death, sources familiar with the issue said. He was also expected to ask what happened to 795 Syrians whose government believes went missing next door.

But Damascus welcomed the new Lebanese cabinet's programme.

"The Syrian side welcomes the new Lebanese Government's policy statement regarding Lebanon's commitment not to become a passage or base for any organization, power or country that targets its security or that of Syria," the statement said.

Though the Lebanese cabinet is dominated by critics of Damascus, reflecting the wave of protests that swept the country after Hariri's death, it includes a member of the pro-Syrian Hezbollah group for the first time and has pledged balanced and solid ties with its larger neighbour.

(China Daily August 1, 2005)