The foreign ministers of Syria and Lebanon signed a joint document Wednesday formalizing diplomatic ties. The signing comes a day after Syrian President Bashar Assad issued a decree establishing diplomatic relations with its neighbor. The two countries have not had formal diplomatic relations since both gained independence from France in the 1940s. The joint document announcing the start of diplomatic relations was signed in Damascus on Wednesday by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and his Lebanese counterpart Fawzi Salloukh, Associated Press reported. «The foreign ministers ... announce the start of diplomatic relations between the countries as of today,» said the document. The two sides pledged to strengthen bilateral relations «based on mutual respect for each country's sovereignty and independence.» «We hope that the exchange of diplomatic representation will be a window to bolster bilateral relations,» said al-Moallem at a joint press conference following the signing. «We want relations to be on an equal footing,» he said, adding that embassies would be set up in Damascus and Beirut before the end of the year.
