Mubarak vows to ease tension between Syria, Lebanon
Egypt-Syria, Politics, 3/24/2006

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held talks with leaders from Syria and Lebanon in what a presidential source said was an effort to repair strained relations between the two neighbors.

Mubarak, who has long played a mediating role in the Middle East conflict, met separately in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa.

The talks with Siniora covered the tensions between Lebanon and its former broker Syria and the UN probe into the 2005 murder of former premier Rafiq al-Hariri as well as talks in Beirut aimed at ending a long-running political deadlock, the presidential source said.

In the later meeting with Sharaa, the two men discussed international pressure on Syria over its alleged role in the Hariri assassination and relations with Beirut, the source said.

However, Syria's official SANA news agency said Sharaa had wanted to discuss with Mubarak the agenda for next week's Arab League summit in Khartoum and bilateral issues and that his talks in Egypt were in no way linked to Siniora's visit.

Sharaa and Siniora did not meet during their brief visit to Egypt.

In comments to reporters later, Sharaa described his meeting with Mubarak as "positive and very constructive," saying "President Mubarak briefed me on the outcome of his discussions" with Siniora.

He added that for his part, he "presented Mubarak the complete picture of Syrian-Lebanese relations."

Asked if Syrian and Lebanese leaders would meet on the sidelines of the Khartoum summit, Sharaa responded that "it would depend on who represents Lebanon at the summit."

Sharaa said that the issues on the agenda of the roundtable talks were of interest to only the Lebanese and did not concern Syria.

Previous Stories:
  Mubarak receives Siniora, Sharaa   (3/23/2006)
  Mubarak receives call from Siniora   (3/16/2006)
  Mubarak to visit Damascus next week   (2/25/2006)
  Egyptian mediation in Syria, Lebanon relations   (1/27/2006)
  Egypt: Syria cooperated with UN investigation   (1/18/2006)
  Al-Assad meets Mubarak on pressure Syria faces   (1/9/2006)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search