The Lebanese minister of Agriculture, Hassan Lakkis (Amal), welcomed Monday the reopening of the border crossing of Bukamal, between Syria and Iraq, crucial for trade.

"The Ministry of Agriculture welcomes the reopening of the Bukamal border post, which is a breath of fresh air for agricultural production from Lebanon to Iraq and the rest of the world, via Syria, after several years of crisis that led to its closure," said a statement by Mr Lakkis published today.

On Monday, first trucks of goods passed through al-Qaïm (Iraq), called Bukamal on the Syrian side, the only crossing point between the two countries that is controlled on one side by the regime of Damascus and on the other by the federal authorities in Baghdad.

"Once again, we affirm that cooperation between Beirut and Damascus is a necessity for Lebanon, before Syria or Iraq", continues this text, in which the Minister of Agriculture calls for "a dialogue between the Lebanese and Syrian governments, in the interest of the Lebanese and Syrian peoples, and of the agricultural sector in particular". Several Lebanese political groups, including the Amal movement of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry, are calling for a normalization of official relations between Lebanon and Syria.