Rice makes unannounced visit to Lebanon

Beirut: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in the Lebanese capital on Monday for a surprise visit where she expressed support for Lebanese democracy.

Rice began talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. She later met Lebanese President Michel Sulaiman, and offered him US support.

"I know that it has been a struggle for Lebanon to get to the election of its president but I come away knowing that Lebanon has succeeded in selecting a very fine man and we look forward to working with him," she said after meeting Sulaiman at his palace near Beirut.

Rice wished Lebanon "good relations" with its neighbours and said Syria and Lebanon should exchange ambassadors, demarcate their borders and deal with each other as equals.

"I hope that Lebanon will have good relations with all of its neighbours...on the basis of equality, sovereignty for Lebanon, respect for Lebanese democratic institutions," Rice said.

The US Secretary of State also commented on the latest Qatar-brokered peace agreement between Lebanon's rival political camps.

Asked how Washington viewed the political gains made by Hezbollah in the Qatar agreement, Rice said: "Obviously in any compromise there are compromises, but this was an agreement that I think served the interests of the Lebanese people, and if it served the interests of the Lebanese people, it served the interests of the United States."