Assad to Kouchner: Syria Has No Pre-Conditions for Lebanese Government Formation
Syrian President Bashar Assad has reportedly told visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner that Damascus has no demands or preconditions for the formation of a Lebanese government.
Pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat daily, citing a high-ranking French source, said Assad appeared to be "comfortable" during a meeting Sunday with Kouchner.
The source said Assad dealt "openly" and "directly" with the issues that had been raised, which included in addition to Lebanon, the situations in Iraq and Iran.
"Syria did not set a list of demands beforehand," the source quoted Assad as telling Kouchner.
He said the Syrian president informed the French foreign minister he "no longer believes that there are obstacles preventing progress in Syrian-Lebanese ties, given that Syria maintains communications with the various (Lebanese) sides."
Kouchner said Sunday that Syria agrees Lebanon should be allowed to form a new government without outside interference.
Both Damascus and Paris believe "it is up to the Lebanese to organize their government" following their elections in June won by a Western-backed camp, he said after a meeting with Assad on Sunday.
"It is up to the Lebanese parties which I met, including Hizbullah, to agree under the leadership of Premier-designate Saad Hariri," said Kouchner, who also held talks last week in Beirut including with Hizbullah.
"There is a new spirit in Lebanon. There is a will to set up a national unity government as soon as possible," he said.