Lebanese Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny announced Tuesday that Lebanon and Syria had set the broad outlines for rail connectivity between the two countries, with a technical committee to examine a unified route linking them to Iraq, the Gulf states and Türkiye. Speaking at a joint news conference in Damascus with Syrian Transport Minister Yarub Badr, Rasamny explained that a specialized committee would study the technical aspects of preparing the route. Badr noted that the two sides had reached understandings paving the way for practical steps to serve their transport sectors and agreed to form a joint technical team to follow up on implementation. He added that cooperation between Syria and Lebanon could help attract donor support and secure financing for joint projects, while efforts were underway to remove obstacles hindering progress. Badr met Rasamny at the Transport Ministry in Damascus to discuss improving transport links between the two countries. Their talks covered several key files, foremost among them strengthening road and rail connections. Badr reviewed the state of Syria’s land transport sector and prospects for its development under the national sustainable land transport policy, based on economic efficiency, competitiveness, social integration, safety and environmental considerations. He outlined plans to rehabilitate and expand the main road network, advance digital transformation, regulate the sector and develop railway projects. Badr stressed the importance of closer coordination and intensified efforts to improve transport links with Lebanon, facilitate the movement of people and goods, stimulate trade and strengthen connectivity with the wider region. Rasamny called for accelerating work, exchanging ideas and expertise, and setting clear, time-bound objectives. He said that such steps would strengthen Syrian-Lebanese cooperation, support economic prosperity in both countries and expand commercial transport links with their regional surroundings. Lebanese government sources had earlier told Syria TV that the official visit was devoted to discussing joint transport and infrastructure files and reviving technical cooperation between the relevant ministries and institutions in both countries.
