Lebanese, Syrian defense ministers to meet in Jeddah after postponing sitdown

Lebanese and Syrian defense ministers are expected to meet in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, a day after a planned visit by the Lebanese official to Damascus was postponed.

Lebanon’s Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart, Murhaf Abu Qasra, are expected to hold talks in Jeddah, according to information obtained.

Menassa was planning to head to Syria on Wednesday for talks with Abu Qasra regarding tensions along the border.

A Lebanese official said on Wednesday that the delay was “in no way related to tensions or conflicts” but didn’t specify when the meeting was postponed to.

Menassa had been set to meet Abu Qasra in the first visit by a Lebanese minister since the cabinet was formed in February.

Border tensions flared earlier in March after Syria’s new authorities accused Lebanese armed group Hezbollah of kidnapping three soldiers into Lebanon and killing them.

The Iran-backed group, which fought alongside the forces of toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, denied involvement. But the ensuing cross-border clashes left seven Lebanese dead.

Information obtained said that the Jeddah meeting will tackle border control between the two countries following the border clashes.