Rubio urges Syria to focus on internal challenges, secure border

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday encouraged Syria to concentrate on its internal challenges while securing its border with Lebanon, emphasizing that Washington has removed Damascus from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Speaking to reporters, Rubio said: "what we've encouraged Syria to do is to focus on its own internal challenges that it has." He noted that the delisting would hopefully provide the economic revival that the country desperately needs.

Rubio highlighted Syria's history of diverse communities coexisting, stating: "Syria is a country that has a history of different communities for many, many years living alongside one another in peace." He added that Damascus faces a "huge project on their hands in that regard, and so we've encouraged them to focus on that."

Hezbollah threat and border security

The secretary dismissed suggestions that Washington seeks to draw Syria into fighting Hezbollah directly, while acknowledging the group's hostility to the new government. "But we understand the threat that Hezbollah is an enemy of this new government in Syria, and they, in many ways, have sought to seek to undermine that government over time," Rubio said.

"One of the best things Syria can do to secure their future is to secure their border with Lebanon, so that we don't have weapons and arms coming back and forth across that border in an effort to destabilize Syria," he added. The comments come as Damascus works to consolidate governance and prevent cross-border arms smuggling.