By Tala Ramadan

(Reuters) – Lebanon and Syria will work together to secure their land borders, as well as delineate land and sea borders, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Saturday in Damascus.

In the first trip by a Lebanese prime minister to neighboring Syria in 15 years, Mikati spoke at a joint news conference in Damscus with Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Al-Sharaa said they discussed issues including smuggling between the two countries, border challenges, and Syrian deposits in Lebanese banks.

Both sides agreed to establish committees to address these matters and provide support.

Lebanon’s President, Joseph Aoun, said after his election on Thursday that there was a historic opportunity for “serious and fair dialogue” with Syria.

For most of the Assad family’s five decades in power, Syria has had significant influence in Lebanon, maintaining a military presence there for 29 years until 2005 in the face of widespread opposition from many Lebanese.