French, Syrian FMs meet on Lebanon

 

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner met Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem in Kuwait on Tuesday to discuss the crisis in Lebanon, the first such meeting since Paris suspended high-level contacts with Damascus in December.

 

The talks covered “the situation in Lebanon,” Kouchner said after the meeting in Kuwait on the sidelines of a conference on Iraq.

 

Lebanon has been without a president for five months amid deadlock between the Western-backed cabinet and the Syrian- and Iranian-backed opposition.

 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered normal contacts with Syria broken off in December, accusing Damascus of failing to match its words about wanting a settlement to the crisis in Lebanon with deeds on the ground.

 

Kouchner had last met with Muallem in Turkey in November during another conference on Iraq among neighbouring countries and world powers.

 

The French chief diplomat was deeply involved in attempts to resolve the Lebanese crisis last year, visiting the country seven times.

 

Kouchner”s aides cautioned against expecting concrete results from Tuesday”s meeting.

 

“You must talk to everyone, including those with whom you disagree, so that there is no misunderstanding,” said a diplomat with the French delegation in Kuwait.

 

“We have a real disagreement with the Syrians. We talk to them without having illusions, and while maintaining a distance,” he said.

 

Kouchner met Muallem ahead of a meeting on Lebanon that was due to be held on the sidelines of the Iraq conference later Tuesday. Syria was not invited to that meeting.