Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rassamni, heading a Lebanese delegation, conducted an official visit to the Syrian Arab Republic, dedicated to discussing ways to enhance cooperation between Lebanon and Syria in the transport sector, particularly land and rail transport, and developing connectivity between the two countries, in a manner that contributes to facilitating the movement of passengers and goods, revitalizing trade exchange, and enhancing regional logistical integration. Upon his arrival at the headquarters of the Syrian Ministry of Transport, Minister Rassamni and the Lebanese delegation were received by his counterpart, Syrian Minister of Transport Dr. Yarob Badr. An official reception was held, followed by an expanded ministerial meeting between the two delegations chaired by Ministers Rassamni and Badr, which addressed the reactivation of the rail link between the two countries, the development of land crossings, the facilitation of transport and trade movement, and prospects for building an interconnected transport network linking Lebanon to the countries of the region. The Lebanese delegation included, alongside Minister Rassamni: Prime Minister's advisor Sateh Arnout, Deputy Prime Minister's advisor Dr. Samer Hadara, Chairman of the Board and Director General of the Railway and Public Transport Authority Engineer Ziad Chayah, Director of the Port of Tripoli Dr. Ahmed Tamer, technical consulting engineer for the Tripoli-Aboudieh railway project Engineer Rami Khoury, and advisor to the Minister of Public Works and Transport Dreid Abou Said. Rassamni During the meeting, Rassamni emphasized the importance of transitioning cooperation in the transport sector into a practical track based on mutual interests, developing Lebanon's logistical options, and enhancing its ability to access regional markets. He explained that the focus is on reactivating and developing the rail link between Lebanon and Syria, particularly starting from the Port of Tripoli via Aboudieh, leading to the Syrian railway network, and from there to the countries of the region. He pointed out that developing this route would provide more effective transport options, reduce its cost, and open broader horizons for Lebanon and its ports for trade and transit. He noted that the vision goes beyond bilateral linkage to a broader regional path that allows Lebanon to be linked, via the Syrian network, to Iraq, Jordan, the Gulf countries, and Turkey, and to benefit from Lebanon's location and its ports on the eastern Mediterranean in serving regional trade. He affirmed that the goal is to support economic growth, enhance export and import activity, reduce transport costs, and create new opportunities for the Lebanese economy. Badr For his part, Badr emphasized the importance of reactivating the rail link between Syria and Lebanon, pointing out that this link is not a newly minted project, but is based on a historical reality in which the Syrian and Lebanese railway networks were interconnected. He highlighted the importance of reviving this link within a more comprehensive vision for regional transport networks, explaining that the Syrian railway network allows, after rehabilitating the necessary sections, the possibility of developing connectivity with Lebanon and with a number of neighboring countries, which would open a land and rail route connecting the eastern Mediterranean to regional and Gulf markets. Joint technical team to follow up on the rail link The two sides agreed to form a joint Lebanese-Syrian technical team of specialists, which is to begin during the coming weeks following up on the files that were discussed, studying the required technical options and routes to reactivate the link between the two networks, and updating previous studies in line with current data, expected transport movement, and implementation requirements. The Lebanese side of the team will be headed by the Chairman of the Board and Director General of the Railway and Public Transport Authority Engineer Ziad Chayah, and the Syrian side by Deputy Minister of Transport for Land Transport Affairs Mohammed Rahhal. The meeting also addressed the rail link project between the Port of Tripoli and the Syrian border via Aboudieh leading to Homs, as one of the essential projects that can be built upon to link the port to the regional rail network. Land crossings The meeting addressed the conditions of land crossings and ways to develop them and facilitate crossing movement. Rassamni noted that the Aboudieh crossing is heading towards reopening within about a week, which contributes to alleviating pressure and congestion at other crossings, and discussions also touched on the Masnaa crossing development project and the requirements of securing the necessary funding for its implementation. Joint press conference Following the meeting, Ministers Rassamni and Badr held a joint press conference during which they outlined the most prominent topics of the talks and the results reached, particularly the agreement to launch joint technical follow-up for the rail link file and turn the discussed titles into actionable executive steps. Rassamni affirmed that Lebanon looks forward to benefiting from its location, ports, and regional transport networks to build more effective paths towards Arab markets, stressing that the ambition goes beyond linking two countries to building an interconnected regional transport network that supports trade and economic growth. As for Badr, he affirmed that joint work between the technical teams in the two countries reflects a serious will to proceed with the path of reactivating the rail link, emphasizing the importance of building upon what has been achieved and following it up at the technical level to allow a transition to practical steps. The two ministers stressed that developing land and rail connectivity and updating transport infrastructure constitute an essential element in enhancing economic relations, facilitating the movement of people and goods, reducing the cost of trade and transport, and expanding options for exporters and importers in both countries. Visit to the historical Hejaz station At the conclusion of the official program, Minister Rassamni and the Lebanese delegation, accompanied by the Syrian side, moved to the historical Hejaz Station in Damascus, where they toured its premises and viewed its historical and archaeological value associated with the history of railways and transport movement in the region.