By Xinhua
Damascus : Syrian President Bashar al-Assad held talks with visiting Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa on Saturday on the political crisis in neighboring Lebanon and the “dangerous developments” in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Moussa reviewed the political developments in Lebanon and the consultations he made to solve the pending issues among the Lebanese parties in the framework of an integrated Arab plan endorsed in Cairo on Jan. 6, the official SANA news agency reported.
The two sides underscored the importance of achieving consensus among the Lebanese people to ensure unity, security, and stability in Lebanon, the report said.
They also discussed the current arrangements for holding the forthcoming Arab summit in Damascus in March, it added.
The necessary steps to be taken on the Arab and international levels to force Israel to halt its aggression on the Palestinian people were also stressed in the meeting.
An official accompanying Moussa told reporters that Moussa briefed Assad during the meeting the outcomes of his talks with the different Lebanese political leaders during his trip to Beirut.
Moussa also held meetings with Vice President Farouk al-Shara and Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, SANA said.
Moussa, who has just wrapped up a trip to Beirut on Friday, would also participate in an official ceremony later on Saturday, in which Damascus will be officially announced the Arab Cultural Capital for 2008.
During his stay in Beirut, a second within a week in efforts to install the three-point Arab plan, Moussa succeeded in getting Lebanese opposition leader Michel Aoun and majority leader Saad Hariri to meet at the parliament on Thursday.
The plan aimed at immediately electing Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman as the president of the country, proceeding to form a national unity government and drafting a new electoral law.
Lebanese presidential seat has been vacant since former President Emile Lahoud ended his term on Nov. 24.
The sharply divided Lebanese parliament has delayed elections of a new president for 12 times without a consensus.