Syrian sources rule out opening embassy in 2008
An official Syrian source said Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem will visit Beirut next Monday to deliver an invitation to Lebanese President Michel Sleiman from his Syrian counterpart to visit Damascus for discussions.
In an interview with Italian news agency Aki, the source refused to elaborate on the discussion’s agenda. “This will be a preliminary visit, and we must not overload it with expectations. During the visit, [they will lay out] a general outline of the matters to be discussed in the future,” the source said.
“This visit will pave the way for other visits by Lebanese officials of different levels to identify pending problems between the two countries and find appropriate solutions,” he added.
The source added that exchanging diplomats requires coordination on a technical level to determine the procedures to open the embassies.
On the other hand, another well-informed Syrian source ruled out Syria and Lebanon opening embassies before the end of the present year.
“Both states might declare a basic agreement on exchanging diplomats, however, the practical steps will not be implemented before the coming year,” the source told the news agency.