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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Syria, Lebanon to open embassies |
| 2008-07-13 |
| Syria and Lebanon have agreed to open embassies in each other's capitals, French leader Nicolas Sarkozy has said. The announcement came after Mr Sarkozy held talks with Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman and then Syria's leader Bashar Assad in Paris. Lebanon and Syria broke off diplomatic ties after former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri was assassinated in 2005. Beirut accused Syria of involvement. Mr Assad's welcome in Paris marks his return to the world stage. "I would like to say what a historic step forward it is for France that Syrian President Bashar Assad is determined to open a diplomatic representation in Lebanon, and that Lebanon should open a diplomatic representation in Syria," Mr Sarkozy announced after meeting both men. There has been no announcement by either Syria or Lebanon, but Mr Sarkozy said their leaders had authorised him to speak on their behalf. Relations between Syria and Lebanon have been tense since the forced withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in mid-2005 after Mr Hariri's assassination. But the two nations have not had diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level since they became independent in the 1940s. |
| Posted by:Fred |