Lebanon opened its first-ever embassy in Syria on March 16, 2009, following the agreement reached between the two countries in October last year to establish diplomatic ties. While Lebanon has named Michel Khoury as its first ambassador to Damascus, Syria is yet to announce a candidate though its embassy in Beirut was opened in December 2008. The opening of the embassies marks the establishment of full fledged diplomatic relations between Syria and Lebanon for the first time since they gained independence from France in the 1940s.1

• 1. “Lebanon opens first embassy in Syria amid thaw in ties,” Daily Star, March 17, 2009, at http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_...