Information Minister: Mu'allem mission in Lebanon has no link to UN resolution 1559

Syria's Information Minister Mehdi Dakhlallah on Thursday stressed that the recent visit of Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed al-Mu'alem to Lebanon had no relation to the coming report by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan of the UN Security Council regarding resolution no. 1559.

"Before and after resolution no. 1559, the Syrian-Lebanese relations are oldÉSyria and Lebanon are two independent countries, they are sovereign as to decide relations between them in the way that suits both sides," the minister said in a statement to the Syrian daily 'al-Thawra'.

The minister added that the main aim of al-Mu'alem visit was to say that Syria wants Lebanon to be a stable country and to assert Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and right to face all attempts of intervention in its internal affairs and sovereignty.

"Syria is at one distance from all Lebanese people ... she doesn't want to be part of disputes among Lebanese politicians and leaders, because Syria is with Lebanon as a whole." Dakhlallah added.

"Syria, in all Arab conferences and summits has been stressing Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and its right to enhance its position," the minister concluded.