The Lebanese leadership headed to Damascus Saturday to hold talks with Syrian officials on bilateral relations and Middle East peace negotiations. Lebanese President Elias Hrawi, House Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and Deputy Premier Michel Murr left Beirut to attend the two-day meetings of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council.
The council was formed two years ago in line with the the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Coordination signed in May 1991 to strengthen ties between the two countries. The Lebanese officials were due to meet with Syrian leader Hafez al- Assad, Vice President Abdel-Halim Khaddam, Premier Mahmoud Zohbi and House Speaker Abdel-Kader Kaddoura. They were to be briefed on the outcome of the recent Syrian-U.S. talks aimed at reviving peace negotiations between the Syrian and Israeli ambassadors in Washington. Lebanon and Syria are the only Arab states bordering Israel that have not reached a peace accord with the Jewish state. The Syrian-Lebanese talks were also to focus on recent visits in the Middle East by European Union leaders and Russian officials. The Higher Council sessions will also tackle Lebanese internal matters, such as toxic waste dumping and the Lebanese-U.S. security meetings held in Washington earlier this week to help lift the U.S. travel embargo against Lebanon.
