Yesterday, political attention was attracted by the surprise visit made in the afternoon to Baabda and Qraytem by a Syrian delegation headed by Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam, accompanied by the Commander of the Syrian Arab Forces operating in Lebanon, General Ibrahim Safi, and the Head of the Security and Reconnaissance Branch, Major General Ghazi Kanaan. Khaddam's visit to the Republican Palace in Baabda was the first officially announced since President Lahoud assumed his presidential duties. It lasted 45 minutes, and came within the framework of coordination consultations on confronting the rapid regional developments.
According to official information distributed by the presidential palace departments, the Syrian Vice President conveyed to President Lahoud the greetings and best wishes of Syrian President Dr. Bashar al-Assad. The research dealt with the current regional situation in light of recent developments, and the views were identical in terms of the necessity of confronting the developments with a single Arab position in contrast to the Israeli proposals seeking partial solutions and settlement maneuvers. The Syrian delegation, after Brigadier General Rustum Ghazaleh joined it, also visited Prime Minister Rafik Hariri at his residence in Koraytem, and during the meeting, current developments were discussed.
