DAMASCUS, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati arrived in Damascus on Saturday for talks with Syria's de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, marking the first visit by a sitting Lebanese premier to Syria in over a decade, Syrian Al-Watan Online newspaper reported.

 

Mikati, accompanied by a senior delegation including Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib and top security officials, landed at Damascus International Airport aboard a Lebanese commercial flight. The visit follows a formal invitation from al-Sharaa, extended during a phone call last week.

 

The meeting takes place as Syria navigates a political transition following the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad last December. Al-Sharaa, who led the coalition that toppled al-Assad, now oversees efforts to stabilize Syria and rebuild its regional relationships.

 

Relations between the two neighboring countries have grown tense in recent weeks. Syria recently imposed restrictions on cross-border movement following security incidents along the shared border. Previously, Lebanese citizens could enter Syria visa-free using only identification documents.

 

The border region has also seen a series of clashes between Syrian armed groups and Lebanese forces, resulting in casualties among Lebanese military personnel.