Lebanon and Syria’s relationship has entered into a new unpredictable era, to say the least, with the establishment of the new Cabinet, Lebanon’s currently escalating economic crisis as well as its overall “revamp” of the existing political structure.
As the Syrian-Lebanese diplomatic relationship has developed throughout history, the most recent blow to this relationship is the current settlement of over 1.5 million Syrian Refugees (no real, non-bias estimates) within Lebanon’s borders; a matter the country is indeed struggling with as things continue to get worse for Lebanon’s population.
Fostering the relationship between Lebanon and Syria is not much of a choice. The two neighboring countries’ best interests are to coexist in a fragile region at the moment.
According to a government source, it was revealed on Monday that Lebanon’s newest Minister of Social Affairs and Tourism, Ramzi al-Musharafieh, had paid a visit to Damascus last week; the first to the Syrian capital from a Minister in PM Diab’s new Cabinet.
Musharafieh met with Syrian Minister of Local Administration and Environment Hussein Makhlouf, Social Affairs and Labor Minister Rima al-Qaderi, and Tourism Minister Mohammed Rami Martini, as per the official statement from Musharafieh’s office.
Discussions between the officials reportedly focused on Syrian refugees and their safe return to their home in cooperation between both governments and in coordination with concerned international NGOs and the U.N.
Syrian ministers Makhlouf and Qaderi ensured that the directives of the Syrian leadership are to provide the necessary means in order to ensure that Syrians from the region, and mostly Lebanon, return to their homes safely.
With Tourism Minister Martini, Musharafieh discussed tourism and ways to boost the sector so that it will positively impact Lebanon and Syria.
Ramzi Musharrafieh received his Medical Degree from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and worked at Robert Jones Hospital in Great Britain.
He moved from 1991 to the Department of Surgery at the AUB as Assistant Professor of Orthopedics, Hand Surgery, and Microscopic Surgery.
He was appointed Associate Professor in 1997 and then full Professor in 2005 at the Department of Orthopedics at Balamand University and at the Clemenceau Medical Center.
In previous capacities, Moucharrafieh has served as President of the Lebanese Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery and as President of the Lebanese Society for Orthopedics and Joints.
