German foreign minister sees hope in Lebanon
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters he saw "signs of hope" in Lebanon after meeting with newly elected President Michel Sleiman on Sunday.
"The Doha agreement is a very important first step to end the crisis," Steinmeier said referring to the May 21 accord between rival Lebanese factions that brought an end to a debilitating 18-month crisis.
"The election of a president and the formation of a government are signs of hope," he said, emphasising that the agreement says that force and weapons should not be used to resolve conflict.
Lebanon”s political stand-off led to sectarian clashes last month that left 65 people dead. The country had been without a president from late November until the election of Sleiman last week.
Beirut is the minister”s first stop on a Middle East tour that will also take in Jerusalem and Ramallah.
Steinmeier said it was "encouraging" that Sleiman”s inaugural speech displayed support for the establishment of the international court to try those behind the assassinations of former premier Rafiq Hariri and other anti-Syrian public figures.
Syria had maintained a military presence in Lebanon for three decades until it was forced to withdraw by the outcry over Hariri”s 2005 assassination which was widely blamed on Damascus. Syria strongly denies any involvement.
The German foreign minister underlined that Sleiman”s inaugural speech "spoke of a new beginning in relations with Syria".
"I hope there will be a normalisation of relations and that later there will be an exchange of ambassadors and that Syria treats Lebanon as a sovereign country," Steinmeier said.
Syria and Lebanon have no diplomatic representation.
Germany is currently in command of the UN naval force patrolling Lebanese waters to keep the peace with Israel and deter arms shipments to the Hezbollah militant group.
Germany is acting as mediator in negotiations between Hezbollah and Israel on a prisoner exchange.
On Sunday, Israel freed and then deported to Lebanon convicted Hezbollah spy Nessim Nisr and the Shiite militant group handed over what it said were the remains of Israeli soldiers killed in its 2006 war with the Jewish state.