'No Mideast peace at Lebanon's cost'

Beirut: US envoy George Mitchell said on Friday a Middle East peace agreement would not come at Lebanon's expense and praised this week's election as an "important milestone" for the country.

Mitchell, who has Lebanese roots, is on a tour that has taken him to Israel, the West Bank, Egypt and Jordan as part of US President Barack Obama's Arab-Israeli peace push. He was due to travel to Syria later on Friday.

Washington is seeking a swift renewal of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks as well as a comprehensive peace deal which not only involves Israel and the Palestinians, but Syrians, Lebanese and other surrounding countries.

"Lebanon will play a key role in the long-term effort to build lasting comprehensive peace and stability in the Middle East," Mitchell said after meeting Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.

"Clearly there can be no lasting solution reached at Lebanon's expense and we look forward to continuing to work with Lebanon to build this solution."

Privately, Lebanese officials said they would inform Mitchell of Lebanon's opposition to naturalising some 400,000 Palestinian refugees living in the country, arguing that doing so would upset Lebanon's delicate sectarian balance.

Most of the refugees, who make up 10 per cent of Lebanon's population, are Sunnis. This is the first time Mitchell has visited Lebanon in his visits to the region since he was appointed Middle East envoy in January. Mitchell had been reluctant to visit Lebanon until the outcome of a parliamentary election was known.

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana began a visit to Beirut yesterday for talks with the country's leaders and, for the first time, a member of Hezbollah.

Solana was scheduled to meet President Michel Sulaiman on Friday and hold separate talks today with Siniora, parliament speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah MP Hussain Haj Hassan, an EU representative said.

The meeting with Haj Hassan will be the first such high-level contact between an EU official and Hezbollah, but not by the European Union, the official said.

Solana and Mitchell are scheduled to meet in Beirut before the US envoy heads to Damascus for talks with Syrian leaders.