Germany to urge Syria not to interfere in Lebanon

Jerusalem, Dec 4: German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier plans to send Syria a strong message to steer clear of Lebanon when he meets President Bashar al-Assad tomorrow in Damascus on the last leg of a West Asia tour.

''A trip like this only makes sense if one uses it to leave clear messages behind,'' Steinmeier told reporters at a brief news conference with his Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem today.

''Lebanon must have a chance to develop based on its own domestic forces and that can only happen when outside interference is ruled out.'' Steinmeier is on a four-day tour of the region to explore possible paths towards Middle East peace before Germany takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union less than a month from now.

His visit is the first to Syria by a senior German government official in more than two years. He cancelled a planned trip there at the last minute in August after President al-Assad made a speech blaming the United States for trouble in the West Asia.

The trip, which started in Jordan on Friday and took him through the West Bank, Gaza, Beirut and Cyprus, came as thousands of pro-Syrian protesters pressed on with a sit-in aimed at ousting Lebanon's Western-backed government.

Government supporters, who held a mass funeral procession for assassinated anti-Syrian cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel 12 days ago, stayed away from central Beirut, heeding calls by leaders to avoid street confrontations.

Leading Western powers have sought to isolate Damascus over its alleged role in last year's assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in Beirut. Syria's critics also accuse it of killing Gemayel. The Syrian government denies involvement in the killings.

Still, Syria is increasingly seen in Europe as a key to solving the myriad inter-woven conflicts in the region.

On Friday, French Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal urged talks with Syria to ease tensions in Lebanon.

President Al-Assad is expected to visit Moscow next month in another sign of a possible rapprochement.

Germany assumes its six-month presidency of what will be a 27-member EU bloc in January and in that role Berlin will be involved in the West Asia Quartet of peace mediators, comprising the United States, Russia, the United Nations and EU.

Steinmeier has vowed to revive the Quartet and assured Livni on Sunday that Germany would actively support efforts to forge peace in the region, saying a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip offered a ''glimmer of hope''.

Reuters