Al-Assad exchanges views with Lahoud

Syrian President Hafez al-Assad on Tuesday received a telephone call from Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, during which views were exchanged on the current conditions, evaluation of these conditions and contacts made recently.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese president asserted the cohesion between the Syrian and Lebanese tracks in the Middle East peace process so as to reach a just and comprehensive peace.

During a meeting of the Lebanese parliament on Wednesday, the Lebanese president said the Francophonic summit was an opportunity to acquaint the world with the cause of Lebanon in its commitment to its land, in backing the Lebanese resistance and in advocating peace, based on Israel's full withdrawal from the south, the western Bekaa and the Golan Heights through cohesion between the Syrian and Lebanese tracks, stressing the right of the Palestinian people to return home and rejecting proposals made to settle the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

The Lebanese president added that during the recent Francophonic summit Lebanon made achievements, especially in including in the summit's final statement a position backing Lebanon in its request to implement UN resolution 425 unconditionally and to plan the next Francophonic summit to meet in Beirut in the year 2001.