Ceasefire needed to end Lebanon confrontation-Assad

DAMASUS, July 19 (Reuters) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said today the international community should act quickly to arrange a ceasefire to end an Israeli-Lebanese crisis, the state news agency SANA said.

It said Assad had made the comments, the first by Syria on its desire for a ceasefire between its ally Hizbollah and Israel, in a telephone conversation with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

''The conversation covered the international stance and how the international community is procrastinating on imposing a ceasefire and ending the crisis,'' SANA said.

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