Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa held talks with Syrian President Bashir Al Assad yesterday in an attempt to defuse tension with Lebanon over continuing allegations that Syria was involved in the assassination of a former Lebanese prime minister. "Our great concern is to keep the relations smooth and strong and to end this tension," Moussa told reporters following his meeting with Bashar.Mousa said he was encouraged by his talks with Syria's leader but did not elaborate. He added he would be returning to Lebanon for further talks. On Wednesday the Arab League chief met Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora in Beirut to discuss the problem. Mousa, who held a separate meeting yesterday with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Al Sharaa, said Lebanese-Syrian relations were of great concern to everybody in the Arab world. He said he was not carrying any specific proposals.