Syria Should Adapt With New Lebanon Status
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos flew into Beirut late Monday for talks with Lebanese officials on promoting Middle East peace.
Moratinos told the daily An-Nahar it is "important to back the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Syrian peace talks to avoid any changes that could take the situation back to square one."
Such support, Moratinos noted, is particularly important in line with the U.N. General Assembly deliberations.
Moratinos is to hold separate talks with Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Premier Fouad Saniora and President Michel Suleiman.
He said he would urge the Lebanese to "proceed with taking things in their own hands," in reference to ongoing efforts to achieve reconciliation between the various factions.
Moratinos, however, warned that failure of the peace talks could lead to "violence in the region."
Syria, he said, should "adapt to Lebanon”s new status and should adopt a new approach towards Lebanon."
"I”m sure that such adaptation is underway, but it takes time," Moratinos said.