Syria to establish Lebanon ties

(CNN) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has issued a decree ordering the establishment of diplomatic ties with Lebanon, the president's advisor told CNN Tuesday.

The order calls for the establishment of an embassy in Beirut, Syria's SANA news agency reported.

The two countries agreed in August to establish relations, a historic turnaround for the neighboring Arab nations.

Lebanon and Syria have not had diplomatic relations since the two countries gained independence from France more than 60 years ago. Relations between them have been lopsided since the 1970s, when Syria sent its army into Lebanon and retained control there for nearly 30 years.