The long-expected appointment of a Syrian ambassador to Lebanon marks the beginning of a new era, or does it? Bassel Oudat asks in Damascus On 24 March, Lebanon announced that President Michel Suleiman accepted the credentials of Ali Abdel-Karim, Syria's first ever ambassador to Lebanon. The move marks a turning point in the relations of the two countries. Since Lebanon and Syria won their independence from France in the 1940s, they conducted most of their relations through direct exchanges, diplomatic relations deemed an unworthy encumbrance. The decision to establish diplomatic relations was made by Bashar Al-Assad and Suleiman during a meeting in Damascus last August. Syria opened an embassy in Beirut last December, but it has been run be a charge d'affaires. Three diplomats are currently working at the embassy, and Ambassador Abdel-Karim is expected to join them in mid-April. Lebanon opened its embassy in Damascus in mid-March, and Ambassador- designate Michel Khouri is expected to arrive there in mid- April, right after he concludes his mission in Cyprus. If the two countries haven't had diplomatic relations for most of their life as independent states, it is because of their history. For centuries, some Lebanese cities were affiliated with Syrian provinces, and the other way round. It was only in 1920 that the Levant was dissected in four protectorates -- Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine -- in accordance with the Sykes-Picot Agreement. In the same year, French General Henri Gouraud annexed four Syrian provinces to Lebanon and called it the State of Greater Lebanon. To this day, the borders are only vaguely drawn, as families live on both "sides" and own territories in both countries. Until the 1950s, the two countries had a unified currency and shared many of their laws and regulations. Relations between the two countries soured after the assassination of prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri in February 2005, so much so that Syria had to pull out its troops, present in Lebanon since 1976. Since then Syria's detractors, including France and the US, said repeatedly that Syria was undermining Lebanon's sovereignty by refusing to exchange ambassadors and delineate borders. Ambassador Abdel-Karim was director of the Syrian television, director of the Syrian news agency, press attaché in the Syrian embassy in Cairo, a diplomat in the Syrian embassy in the UAE, and ambassador to Kuwait. "History and geography impose themselves on the two countries, with important relations in various fields," he said. The UN special envoy to Lebanon Michel Williams welcomed the appointment. So did adversaries of Damascus in Lebanon. Samir Geagea, chairman of the executive council of the Lebanese Forces, said the appointment was a "great and historic achievement", calling on the two countries to work out their problems. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said that Al-Assad was acting in accordance with Al-Taef Agreement, which regulates relations between Lebanon and Syria. France, which sponsored the Lebanese-Syrian rapprochement, is pleased. For months, French diplomats have been urging Damascus to exchange ambassadors with Beirut, draw borders, and stop meddling in Lebanese politics. In an interview published after the naming of the ambassador, President Al-Assad said "the embassy is an institution and it has a role, but all relations and institutions must be put in perspective." He was trying to play down the exchange of ambassadors which may have alarmed pan-Arabists in both countries. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallim said that Damascus wanted normal relations with all Lebanese leaders including Saad Al-Hariri, leader of the Mustaqbal (future) Movement. Damascus has been dragging its feet about the appointment of an ambassador for a long time. So what made it change its mind? One important factor is that the US has been making friendly noises of late. Another is that the international court handling Al-Hariri's case is operating outside Lebanon. And a third is that Saudi Arabia is becoming more accommodating of Syria's needs. Still, it may take the Lebanese and Syrians some time to learn how to conduct business through ambassadors, after having relied on face-to-face communication for so many years. Meanwhile, Syria is still being asked to do more. It is under pressure to delineate the borders, especially in the area of the disputed Shabaa Farms, now under Israel's occupation. The Syrians want Israel to withdraw first, agreeing that Shabaa belongs to Lebanon, but this is not good enough for the Lebanese. There is also the matter of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons, which Beirut would like to see resolved soon. Then there is the question of Palestinian camps and weapons. Most Palestinian camps are run by pro-Syrian groups that refuse any form of Lebanese control over their weapons. Furthermore, many Lebanese believe that existing economic, financial and tax agreements favour the Syrians and need to be revised.
