Lebanese president describes Middle East developments as 'very delicate'

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on Sunday in Beirut said that peace negotiations between Syria and Israel, due to resume in a few days after a 45-month break, will be difficult.

A Lebanese presidential spokesman quoted the Lebanese President as saying, "The current development in the peace process is very delicate, and the expected negotiations will not be easy, and they will have their good and bad times."

Lahoud, on the other hand, said that Lebanon hopes that peace "would be reached soon based on a just and comprehensive deal" that will ensure the return of the occupied Arab territories.

Meantime, Lebanese Minister of Post and Telecommunications Issam Naaman said that Lebanon regards resuming Israeli - Syrian negotiations from their stopping point in 1996 as a diplomatic victory for Syria and a victory for Lebanon's steadfastness and its struggle as well as its resistance.

He added that Syrian President Hafez al-Assad called Lebanese President Emile Lahoud as soon as the resumption of negotiations was announced to guarantee complete coordination in these negotiations.

Naaman did not rule out Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak working on achieving a withdrawal from the Golan along with withdrawal from south Lebanon to present this formula to the Israeli people in the general referendum intended to be held concerning the Lebanese - Syrian track.