by Jihad Issa

For Damascus there is something novel in Assad's statement that his government was wiling to establish diplomatic relations for quite some time. Syrian foreign minister says Lebanese prime minister missed opportunity to visit the Syrian capital.

Beirut (AsiaNews) – Diplomatic relations between Syria and Lebanon remain a complex issue. In a just a few days observers heard Syrian President Bachar al-Assad say that his country wanted to establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon for quite some time; Lebanese leader Michel Aoun propose that a parliamentary commission with members from the Future Movement, the Free Patriotic Movement and Hezbollah-Amal go to Damascus for informal discussion; the Future Movement counter that talks about diplomatic relations could only be channelled through the state and its institutions, especially the Prime Minister's Office; Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem say that Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad "Siniora procrastinated too much in visiting Damascus," missing his chance to visit Damascus; and Siniora state that an official invitation should be issued with a specific date according to protocol.

Speaking after a long meeting with Lebanon's Maronite spiritual leader, Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, Siniora addressed the issue of Lebanese-Syrian relations saying that "we look for equal and excellent relations that are based on mutual respect".

In Damascus, observers have noted the new wording used by Assad. During a meeting with press agencies operating in Syria, the Syrian president said that "Syria has for a long time been [in favour of] establishing diplomatic relations with Lebanon".

The Syrian leader, who was accompanied by Information Minister Mohsen Bilal, added that if this has yet not happened, it is as a result of the latest negative developments, but that he was hopeful that relations between Lebanon and Syria would be faithful to their historic ties.

He explained that the noble tradition that has always strengthened the friendship and cooperation between the two peoples should be respected, blaming any delay in establishing diplomatic relations on others, in particular the Lebanese themselves who, under foreign pressures, have aggravated tensions between the countries and forgotten the special nature of their relations.

After praising the professionalism of Belgian judge Serge Brammertz after the release of his second report, Assad reiterated that insofar as the Hariri affair was concerned his government was prepared to extend its full cooperation to find the truth about this assassination and every other act of terrorism that marred the peace established by the Syrian army intervention and that lasted more than 15 years.

• lebanon
• syria
• diplomatic
• relations
• bachar
• al-assad
• mohsen
• bilal
• michel
• aoun
• nasrallah
• sfeir
• fouad
• siniora