Lebanon-Syria Business Council takes shape

Source: Nida Al Watan

Following the appointment by the Syrian side of 3 members to the founding Syrian-Lebanese Business Council, the Lebanese side is expected within days to announce the members of the Lebanese-Syrian Business Council, which is anticipated to consist of 5 or 6 Lebanese members. This comes in preparation for the anticipated meeting at the end of next June in Syria, chaired by the Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade, to establish the joint business council between Lebanon and Syria.

This development falls within the framework of the new phase of gradual cooperation whose contours were outlined during the Lebanese Prime Minister’s recent visit to Syria. What exactly is this council, and what benefits could it bring to Lebanon?

The Lebanese-Syrian Business Council is considered an economic and commercial framework aimed at revitalizing economic and trade relations between the two countries while encompassing the private sector. It seeks to strengthen cooperation between business communities in Lebanon and Syria, organize economic relations between them under official supervision, facilitate communication between the two private sectors, encourage joint investments, and support trade exchange.

Today, after turning the page on the agreements that existed under the Assad regime, which fell in 2024, and with the beginning of a new phase under Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously suspended agreements are being revived. However, this process is being approached cautiously and deliberately by the Lebanese side, given that the council operates within an environment shaped by the official relationship between the two governments.

The importance of Lebanese-Syrian relations

In this context, Minister of Economy and Trade Amer Bisat told Nida Al Watan: “The Lebanese-Syrian relationship is important, particularly as Syria embarks on a period of reconstruction, which will benefit Lebanon, in addition to the major investment projects that will be established in Syria and which open opportunities for Lebanese participation. The importance of Lebanon’s relationship with Syria is comparable to its relationship with Saudi Arabia, Europe, and the United States.”

Accordingly, the Lebanese government’s strategic decision lies in deepening relations with Syria rather than starting from scratch. There is a positive exchange and willingness on both sides to examine the various dimensions of cooperation, whose course is expected to be lengthy.

Bisat stated: “There are many economic-level issues that will be discussed, including trade relations due to the existence of several border crossings, as well as other files for which solutions will be sought. These include:

The problem of truck transit between the two countries. Lebanese trucks heading to Iraq and Jordan via Syrian transit routes are currently required to stop, unload their cargo, and reload it onto Syrian trucks to continue the journey. The same applies to Syrian trucks entering Lebanon, which face difficulties due to strict inspection procedures, resulting in congestion, lengthy waiting times at border crossings, increased refrigeration and fuel costs, and spoilage of certain products.

The unification of standards, weights, and laboratory procedures.

Resolving the challenge facing exports through customs administration at the border. The Arab Facilitation Agreement stipulates that Syrian exports to Lebanon enter free of charge, whereas fees are imposed on Lebanese exports to Syria, necessitating a swift solution to this issue.”

B2B and G2G

For all these reasons, it was agreed to re-establish the Lebanese–Syrian Business Council as the first step toward deepening relations between the two countries through an official joint council that documents trade and investment relations and signs agreements within the framework known as Business to Business (B2B).

At the governmental level, Lebanon’s Ministry of Economy, along with the relevant Syrian authorities, will play a supportive and facilitating role for the work of these councils by providing necessary assistance and accompanying their activities.

Parallel to this phase, cooperation is later expected to evolve formally into a Government to Government (G2G) framework, although the current phase will remain informal in nature.

In this regard, Bisat explained: “Workshops will be held between employees appointed by Lebanon’s Ministry of Economy and their counterparts in Syria in order to begin discussions and reach solutions to the existing problems between the two countries, most notably customs duties. At a later stage, hopefully within a few months, these understandings will be transformed into agreements and treaties, similar to what occurred between Lebanon and Egypt, Jordan, and Oman.”

Formation of the Council

In preparation for the anticipated meeting at the end of June to establish the joint council, the founding Syrian Business Council appointed three members, with plans for future expansion.

As for the Lebanese side, the members of the Lebanese Business Council, likely consisting of five or six members, are expected to be announced within days. They will be appointed by the Chambers of Commerce in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Trade.

The Lebanese delegation, headed by the Minister of Economy, is expected to visit Damascus in early June, where the Lebanese–Syrian and Syrian–Lebanese councils will convene to establish a joint business council that will mark the beginning of a new path of cooperation.

The Minister of Economy will also propose the creation of specialized committees, including one for trade and investment and another for the banking sector, in order to study each sector separately, open new investment prospects, and strengthen economic relations between both sides, especially amid expectations of substantial Arab investments flowing into Syria, which could provide significant opportunities for Lebanese investors to benefit from them.