Region | Syria
Syria vows to help Lebanon
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad opens the Arab summit with a promise to help resolve Lebanon's political crisis.
- Agencies
- Published: 14:34 March 29, 2008
- Image Credit: Reuters
- The Lebanese national flag (centre) with the national flags of other member countries of the Arab League are seen on a main street in Damascus.
Damascus: At the opening of an Arab summit on Saturday, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad promised to help solve Lebanon's political crisis.
Lebanon and key Arab leaders did not join the meeting in protest at Syrian policy.
Assad also dismissed the accusation that Syria was behind the crisis in Lebanon, which has been without a president since November.
"We in Syria are fully prepared to cooperate with Arab or non-Arab efforts... on condition that they are based on Lebanese national consensus, the basis for stability in Lebanon," Assad said in his opening speech.
"The key to a solution is in the hands of the Lebanese themselves. They have their homeland, their institutions and constitution and they have the necessary awareness," he added.
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