Syria intends to establish diplomatic ties with Lebanon for the first time since the two nations gained independence more than 60 years ago.
Syria intends to establish diplomatic ties with Lebanon for the first time since the two nations gained independence more than 60 years ago.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, who arrived in Beirut on Monday for talks with the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said, "we are determined to open an embassy and to exchange diplomatic representationā¦But this determination has to be shared.ā
Earlier this month, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met Suleiman in the Mediterranean Union summit in Paris and agreed to open embassies in each other's capitals.
Muallem handed over a letter from al-Assad to Suleiman and invited the Lebanese president to visit Damascus.
Lebanese media said the visit would take place in a week or 10 days, AFP reported.
The Syrian top diplomat said President al-Assad considered his Lebanese counterpart trustworthy, which he said bode well for resolving outstanding issues.
During the talks, Muallem and Suleiman also discussed the issue of the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms and the delineation of the border between the two countries.
"There is nothing to prevent the demarcation of the borders but we must take into account the fact that many Syrian and Lebanese villages are intertwined and whether this would harm residents," Muallem said.
"Still, if we must delineate the border, we are ready," he added. MGH/MMN
Source: AJP
Syria intends to establish diplomatic ties with Lebanon for the first time since the two nations gained independence more than 60 years ago.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, who arrived in Beirut on Monday for talks with the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said, "we are determined to open an embassy and to exchange diplomatic representationā¦But this determination has to be shared.ā
Earlier this month, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met Suleiman in the Mediterranean Union summit in Paris and agreed to open embassies in each other's capitals.
Muallem handed over a letter from al-Assad to Suleiman and invited the Lebanese president to visit Damascus.
Lebanese media said the visit would take place in a week or 10 days, AFP reported.
The Syrian top diplomat said President al-Assad considered his Lebanese counterpart trustworthy, which he said bode well for resolving outstanding issues.
During the talks, Muallem and Suleiman also discussed the issue of the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms and the delineation of the border between the two countries.
"There is nothing to prevent the demarcation of the borders but we must take into account the fact that many Syrian and Lebanese villages are intertwined and whether this would harm residents," Muallem said.
"Still, if we must delineate the border, we are ready," he added. MGH/MMN
Source: AJP