Lebanon and Syria will sign an agreement next week regarding the transfer of approximately 300 Syrian detainees held in Lebanese prisons. Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri announced this to AFP on Saturday, a day after the government approved the step. The issue of Syrian detainees is one of the outstanding files in the process of normalizing relations between Beirut and Damascus following the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad. Mitri stated that the agreement, approved by the Council of Ministers on Friday, will cover around 300 Syrians who have been convicted and have served 10 years or more in Lebanese prisons. He confirmed that the agreement "will be signed in Beirut next week" to come into force immediately, and it is likely that the Syrian Minister of Justice or Minister of Foreign Affairs will attend. The Lebanese Council of Ministers approved the "Agreement between Lebanon and Syria on the transfer of persons convicted in the country of judgment to the country of their nationality" during its session on Friday, according to a government statement. Mitri clarified that the Syrian convicts "will not be released, but will be handed over to their country to serve the remainder of their sentences there." The Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister indicated that concluding this agreement "constitutes a major step towards resolving outstanding issues between the two countries and a real opportunity to build new relations with Syria based on mutual trust and respect and serving the higher interests of both states."
