Syria and Lebanon signed a joint document Wednesday formalizing diplomatic ties between the two countries for the first time in their turbulent history.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and his Lebanese counterpart Fawzi Salloukh signed the document a day after Syrian President Bashar Assad issued a decree establishing diplomatic relations with its smaller neighbor - a long-standing demand of the West and Lebanese politicians opposed to Syria's influence in the country.

The two countries have not had formal diplomatic relations since both gained independence from France in the 1940s in what many Lebanese saw as Syrian refusal to recognize Lebanese sovereignty.

Moallem told Lebanon's as-Safir newspaper in comments published earlier Wednesday that Syria and Lebanon must cooperate in fighting terrorism, linking the threat faced by both neighbors which have recently been targeted by militants.

He said the uncovering of "terrorist cells" in both countries had shown that "the source of danger to both countries is one."

"There must be cooperation in confronting those terrorists," the Lebanese newspaper quoted him as saying.

Assad's decree to Syria to establish diplomatic relations with its smaller neighbor was a long-standing demand of the West and Lebanese politicians opposed to Damascus' influence in the country.

The two countries have not had formal diplomatic relations since both gained independence from France in the 1940s.

"The foreign ministers ... announce the start of diplomatic relations between the countries as of today," said the document. The two sides pledged to strengthen bilateral relations based on mutual respect for each country's sovereignty and independence.

"We hope that the exchange of diplomatic representation will be a window to bolster bilateral relations,"said Moallem at a joint press conference
following the signing. "We want relations to be on an equal footing," he said, adding that embassies would be set up in Damascus and Beirut before the end of the year.

In August, Lebanon and Syria agreed to establish ties and demarcate their
contentious border. That landmark agreement, which came during an official visit by Lebanon's president to Damascus, and Assad's formal decree Tuesday, also mark a final break in Syria's longtime dominance over its smaller neighbor.

Damascus had controlled Lebanon for 30 years before it was forced to withdraw troops in 2005.

Lebanon's Western-backed prime minister, Fuad Saniora, praised the development Tuesday as an advanced and historic step on the road to confirming Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and its free decision-making.

Some observers think Syria is more comfortable dealing with Lebanon's
government now that its ally Hezbollah has gained veto power in a Lebanese unity government that was formed in July. In May, Lebanon installed a president sympathetic to Syria.

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack welcomed the development as a positive step but noted that important tasks remain, such as defining the countries' border.

Relations between the two Arab nations have been lopsided in Syria's favor since the 1970s, when Syria sent its army into Lebanon and maintained control there for nearly 30 years. Ties unraveled when former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed in a 2005 car bombing that many Lebanese blame on Syria - a charge Syria denies.

After Hariri's assassination, Syria caved to U.S.-led international pressure and withdrew its troops from Lebanon.

Establishing diplomatic relations remained a pressing demand by the
anti-Syrian majority in Lebanon's parliament, which contended that the lack of official ties reflected Syria's refusal to recognize Lebanese sovereignty.

Moallem's call to fight terrorism comes after authorities in both Syria and Lebanon have accused Islamist militants of carrying out the recent bomb attacks in the region.

Syria says a suicide bomber was behind the September 27 Damascus bombing that killed 17 people, while the Lebanese army said on Sunday it had detained Islamist militants who carried out two attacks in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

The August 13 and September 29 attacks in Tripoli both targeted the army and killed a total of 22 people, including 15 soldiers.

Assad has warned of a growing threat from militants in northern Lebanon and accused foreign states of supporting them.

Syria has said the car used in the Damascus bombing came from a neighboring Arab state, but has not said which one. Syria's Arab neighbors are Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan.

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