Lahoud receives al-Assad message, appreciates Syria's position to avoiding the region risks of war

Lebanese President Emil Lahoud yesterday at Baabda palace received the Syrian foreign minister Farouk al-Shara who conveyed to him a message from President Bashar al-Assad relating to developments on the Arab and international arenas.

The meeting was attended by the Lebanese minister of foreign affairs and expatriates Mahmoud Hamoud.

Al-Shara briefed Lahoud with issues relating to developments to the Iraqi issue at the UN security council and the role played by Syria in the deliberations concerning adoption of UN resolution 1441 and the efforts which were conducive to not including the said resolution, directing a military attack to Iraq without resorting back to the UN security council.

President Lahoud expressed his appreciation for Syria's stances and the "Syria's leadership's strategic views to the Arab causes in order to avoid Iraq and the region risks of the war and the schemes of imposing hegemony."