Government Sets Rule for Cross-Border Assignments
The government, meeting under President Michel Suleiman, has set the agenda of Defense Minister Elias Murr”s forthcoming visit to Syria, restricting it to three topics only.
The topics, according to the daily An-Nahar on Saturday, are: border control, combating smuggling and implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.
The decision was taken after the government stressed that it has the sole power to decide on official visits to foreign countries by members of the executive authority and public servants.
The report said Murr presented to the government a report on Army Commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji”s recent visit to Damascus, which was carried out with the knowledge of Suleiman and Premier Fouad Saniora.
An-Nahar reported that Suleiman said the topic of Qahwaji”s visit should have been listed on the cabinet”s agenda.
Ministers representing the March 14 majority said a wide category of the Lebanese people is rather "sensitive" to topics that are being ignored during visits to Damascus although they are pending issues in the relations between the two states, including border control, border demarcation, combating smuggling, settling the file of missing Lebanese citizens and Palestinian military bases backed by Syria.
However, ministers representing March 8 called for tightening relations between Lebanon and Syria.