Ismael: we try to contain Lebanese Syrian tension by Arab means

Mustafa Othman Ismael, the advisor of the Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, said following a meeting with the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Tuesday that Khartoum is moving within an Arab framework to contain the tension in the Lebanese- Syrian relations.

Mubarak discussed with Ismael items of the African and Arab summit due to be held in Khartoum in next January and March.

Replying to a question which Sudan had proposed for reconciliation between Syria and Lebanon, Ismael said "Sudan in its capacity as the next President for the Arab summit in March, should make all efforts to maintain inter- Arab reconciliation, in the course of an Arab move in which all Arab countries take part especially Egypt and Saudi Arabia as well as Algeria in its capacity as the current chief for the Arab summit, as well as the Arab league."

He said that Sudan move supports the efforts made by all sides concerned. He expressed his hope that "these efforts will yield result to contain the tension in the Syrian- Lebanese relations, and to deal with the issue of the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri in a professional, security and judicial way, and without exploiting it against Syria."