Syrian Social Affairs Minister: No Agreements on Paper, But Cooperation That Changes Lives of Lebanese and Syrians

Minister of Social Affairs Haneen El-Sayed concluded her official visit to Syria with a meeting with Mrs. Latifa Al-Sharaa, at the invitation of Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Qabawat. The visit included official meetings and field visits to social and care institutions and centers specialized in caring for persons with disabilities, as well as meetings with local community members in Daraya and representatives of civil society organizations.

The visit focused on exchanging experiences in protection and social services, enhancing cooperation between the two ministries, and reviewing the reality of local communities, recovery paths, and the return of Syrians to their areas.

The visit concluded with a joint press conference by El-Sayed and Qabawat, during which the two ministers presented the main outcomes of the visit and future areas of cooperation.

In her speech, El-Sayed expressed her happiness at visiting Damascus in her first official visit since the fall of the Syrian regime, congratulating the Syrian people, and affirming that Syria deserves freedom and justice and should be a homeland for all its sons and daughters in their diversity.

She noted that Lebanon and Syria suffered, albeit in different ways, from guardianship and the dominance of weapons over the will of the people, pointing out that Lebanese experienced the guardianship of the Assad regime, while Syrians witnessed its intervention in the war alongside the former regime. She affirmed Lebanon's commitment to extending state authority over all its territories with its own forces.

She considered that the beginning of 2025 marked a historic milestone with the fall of the regime in Syria and the start of a new phase under the presidency of Ahmed Al-Sharaa, coinciding with the election of President Joseph Aoun and the formation of the Reform and Rescue Government led by Nawaf Salam in Lebanon.

She stressed that the current phase presents an opportunity to turn the page on guardianship and build a relationship between two sovereign states based on parity and mutual respect, citing Salam's statement that "Syria's decision belongs to Syrians and Lebanon's decision belongs to Lebanese," and Al-Sharaa's reference to the difficulty of the previous legacy.

She affirmed that the shared responsibility lies in not denying the past without allowing it to control the future, considering that reciprocal ministerial visits reflect the development of relations between the two countries.

El-Sayed pointed out that the humanitarian dimension formed the core of the visit, through reviewing the experiences of social institutions and meeting with persons with disabilities and the elderly, in addition to visiting Daraya, where the delegation inspected the effects of destruction and met families looking forward to returning, along with women, youth, and civil society representatives working to restore life.

The delegation also visited the "Qudurat" (Capabilities) center, where they reviewed the role of rehabilitation and training in providing job opportunities and enhancing economic independence.

El-Sayed affirmed that rebuilding Syria is not limited to restoring what was destroyed, but includes protecting humans, rebuilding the social fabric, and restoring confidence in the possibility of achieving a better future.

Regarding the displacement file, El-Sayed stressed the importance of Syrians returning to their homeland after years spent in Lebanon, which hosted hundreds of thousands of them despite its crises and challenges. She indicated that during her visit, she listened to the experiences of returnees in Daraya, who spoke about years lived alongside Lebanese, benefiting from employment, education, and services.

According to UNHCR data until the end of September 2026, the number of returnees to Syria reached 694,392 people, noting that the vast majority returned to settle in Syria sustainably. She considered that these figures reflect the importance of coordination between Lebanon and Syria in this file, within the ministerial committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri.

She stressed that sustainable return does not end at the borders, but requires securing housing, schools, services, and job opportunities, ensuring that humans regain their life and dignity in their homeland.

She affirmed the importance of reactivating the Social Cooperation Agreement signed in 2000, and working on preparing a memorandum of understanding and a joint executive program, within the Lebanese-Syrian government track and under the umbrella of the Lebanese-Syrian Supreme Committee.

She clarified that the goal is not to conclude agreements that remain ink on paper, but to establish cooperation that directly reflects on people's lives, within a vision that shifts social work from providing aid to social development and enhancing economic inclusion.

In conclusion, El-Sayed thanked her Syrian counterpart for the reception, pointing to the special symbolism carried by their meeting as two women in positions of responsibility, and affirming that opening a new page between the two countries is not achieved merely by announcing it, but by building a relationship in which the two states respect each other, and in which the two peoples reclaim their right to safety, dignity, and the future.

For her part, Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Qabawat welcomed El-Sayed and the accompanying delegation, affirming that the visit is not protocolary, but represents the beginning of joint work between two ministries dealing with files that often affect the same families.

She praised Lebanon's hosting of hundreds of thousands of Syrian families during difficult years, affirming that Damascus does not forget these stances, and that the new phase requires a relationship based on mutual respect, good neighborliness, and common interest.

She explained that the discussions covered three basic files: the return of Syrians to their towns, child protection, and exchange of experiences in the field of social protection, stressing that return is the right of every Syrian, that the decision rests with them, and that return must be voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable.

She affirmed that joint work does not stop at the borders, but actually begins when the family arrives in their town, stressing that the place of a child is school, not the labor market, and that protecting children, wherever they are, is a shared responsibility.

She also indicated that Lebanon possesses an advanced experience in the field of social protection and cash support, noting that Syria is gradually working to build a national system for social protection, and that benefiting from Lebanese experiences will contribute to accelerating this process.

Qabawat concluded by affirming that cooperation between the two ministries must move from exchanging visits to exchanging experiences and practical solutions, forming the basis for a stronger and broader Syrian-Lebanese relationship.