Beirut - Lebanon is to set up its first embassy in Syria in the Abu Rimmaneh district of Damascus, a Lebanese foreign ministry source said on Friday.

According to the source the Lebanese embassy in the Syrian capital is to be operational before the end of the year.

The source did not specify if the compound would also be the residence to Lebanon's ambassador to Syria, who is yet to be named.

He added that Syrian Foreign Ministry has asked the Lebanese Foreign Ministry to help in finding a venue for the Syrian embassy in Beirut that would be "suitable from a security point of view."

The Lebanese daily al-Safir said that Damascus would set up its Beirut embassy in the Bir Hassan district, an area on the outskirts of Beirut's southern suburbs, a hotbed of Hezbollah. The building will also host the residence of the Syrian ambassador, who is also yet to be named.

The area of Bir Hassan hosted the headquarters of the Syrian military intelligence in Beirut for over 30 years. Syria under local and international pressure withdrew from Lebanon after the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri. Damascus was widely blamed by Hariri's allies for his killing, a charge Syria has denied.

On Wednesday, Syria and Lebanon announced establishment of diplomatic ties for the first time since they became independent 60 years ago. (dpa)