August 14, 2008
DAMASCUS: Syria and Lebanon agreed to start diplomatic ties for the first time since independence about 60 years ago, during a landmark visit to Damascus by Lebanese President Michel Sleiman.Mr Sleiman and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad decided that relations should be at ambassadorial level, presidential counsellor for politics Bussaina Shaaban said.
“The two presidents decided to establish diplomatic relations at the level of ambassadors, in line with the treaty of the United Nations and international law,” he said after their meeting.
Syria and Lebanon have not had diplomatic ties since independence from French colonial power - Lebanon in 1943 and Syria in 1946 - but Mr Assad and Mr Sleiman agreed to establish relations during talks last month in Paris.
During the talks they “discussed the question of the border between the two countries, and the people who went missing in Syria and Lebanon,” Syrian state television reported, describing the atmosphere as “positive and very constructive”.
The leaders will continue their talks today.
Mr Sleiman is the first Lebanese president to visit Damascus since Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon in April 2005 ending almost three decades of military domination of its “sister” nation.
The Syrian pullout came two months after the assassination in a massive Beirut bomb blast of Lebanese ex-premier Rafik Hariri, for which Damascus has denied any responsibility despite accusations by Lebanese anti-Syrian groups.
Hours before Mr Sleiman flew in, a bomb exploded in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli, killing at least 14 people, nine of them soldiers, and wounding 40 others.
Mr Sleiman, a former army chief elected by parliament in May, was given a red-carpet welcome by Mr Assad at the People's Palace overlooking Damascus on his arrival.
His visit comes a day after Lebanon's Western-backed Government won a vote of confidence in parliament, after stormy debates on the thorny issue of weapons held by the Syria- and Iran-backed Hezbollah Shi'ite militant group.
The vote allows the 30-member cabinet formed a month ago by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to finally start work.
Source: The Australian
Posts
