Lebanon-Syria 
Defense and Security Agreement
September 1, 1991

Based on the Brotherhood, Cooperation, and Coordination Treaty between the Lebanese Republic and the Syrian Arab Republic signed in Damascus on May 20, 1991 and ratified by the Lebanese Chamber of Deputies on May 27, 1991 in Beirut, including its third, fifth, and sixth Articles, particularly Clause 5 of the sixth Articles, agreement has been reached on the following:

1. Structure
A defense affairs committee consisting of the two countries' defense and interior ministers is to be formed. This committee will meet every three months, alternating between the capital cities of Beirut and Damascus or in any other location agreed upon, and will also meet whenever it is deemed necessary. The committee may seek assistance from any of the chiefs of the two countries' security authorities or from the chiefs of other branches of the two ministries. The army will meet every month, alternating between the capital cities and will meet whenever the need arises at an agreed upon location to implement the defense and security committees' programs and supervise their details.

2. Missions
The defense and security affairs committee is charged with studying ways to safeguard the two states' security and with proposing joint plans to confront any aggression or threat against their national security and any disturbance that may upset either country's internal security.
In implementing the contents of Article III of the Brotherhood, Cooperation, and Coordination Treaty, the following must be realized:
In an effort to reaffirm the two states' pledge and ensure that Lebanon does not become a source of threats against Syria's security and vice versa, the military and security authorities in the two countries must implement the following:
A. Ban all military, security, political, and media activity that might harm the other country.
B. Refuse to give refuge to, facilitate the passage of, or provide protection to persons and organizations that work against the other state's security. If such persons or organizations take refuge in either of the two states, that state must arrest them and hand them over to the other side at the latter's request.
C. To enable the military and security services in each of the two states to carry out their duty of implementing the aforementioned Clauses A and B, these services must meet regularly in each of the two countries to exchange information involving all issues of strategic, national, and internal security, including those related to drugs, major financial crimes, terrorism, and espionage. The military and security services will coordinate their work to follow up and resolve these issues within each country as well as abroad, and will cooperate with international institutions as necessary. All legal and procedural steps must be taken to facilitate the joint action of the two states' authorities as part of the agreement to expedite the adoption of legal prosecution and ways to solve these problems.
D. The two countries' defense ministries and their relevant departments will meet every three months, alternating between the capital cities, and as necessary, to exchange information on everything that concerns the two countries' security and all hostile activities in an effort to reach a mutual understanding on the dangers and their dimensions, and, consequently, to draw up integrated plans at various levels to confront these dangers. In this regard, the two Defense Ministries will establish joint organs to follow up and supervise strategic coordination.
E. The two countries' Ministries of Defense and Interior will increase the exchange of officers and troops through training courses at various levels, including the exchange of military instructors in the military colleges, in order to achieve a high standard in military coordination and adequate familiarity to confront common threats.
F. The ministerial committee for defense and security affairs will draw up the necessary plans to promote exchange and development in each country's civil defense field.

3. Final Provisions
In addition to its tasks, the defense and security committee will do the following:
--Follow up the implementation of all the provisions of the agreement and give the necessary instructions to ensure its progress.
--Propose to the Higher Council the bases, principles, and regulations that are bound to ensure full and effective implementation of the agreement.