Italian foreign minister commends Syria's troops withdrawal

Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini on Wednesday said President Bashar al-Assad's announcement of troops withdrawal to the Bekaa region is "a step in the right direction."

In a statement, Fini underlined that the long-term fraternal relations between Syria and Lebanon will continue, pointing out that he invited Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara to visit Rome early in April. Fini said he understood that the Syrian pullout include all the Syrian forces in Lebanon.