Bashar al-Assad arrives in Beirut suddenly

Bashar al-Assad visited Beirut yesterday, where he met with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.

Bashar, son of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, visited Beirut after his visit to Paris.

He and Lahoud emphasized after their meeting the unity of the two states' peace tracks in each step toward a just and comprehensive peace.

Bashar's sudden visit to Beirut comes to emphasize the correlation of the Lebanese and Syrian tracks and that Lebanon cannot sign an agreement without Syria.

He said in Beirut that al-Assad and Lahoud tackled in their talks the peace process, new developments in the area, the regional positions and the international efforts.

Bashar informed the Lebanese president of the results of his meeting with French President Jacques Chirac.