by Dmitry Zaks
MOSCOW - A top Syrian official on a visit to Russia said Friday that Damascus would soon unveil a plan for withdrawing its troops from Lebanon, and indicated that the scheme had met with approval from Beirut.
"I brought with me a certain Syrian plan," Deputy Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallim said after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
"I think that you will soon hear about this plan, about an agreement between Syria and Lebanon."
"I am optimistic that this plan will be approved by all members of the UN Security Council," he said.
For his part Lavrov said that "we are satisfied that the Syrian side plans to take steps that we understand will be announced soon... which correspond with (UN) resolution 1559" that called for all foreign troops to leave Lebanon.
Syria had sent soldiers into its small western neighbor in 1975 at the start of Lebanon's 15-year civil war.
The Moscow announcement came hours after a Lebanese cabinet minister told AFP in Beirut that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is expected to announce Saturday that Damascus would pull back its troops into Lebanon's eastern Bekaa valley, but would stop short of a full withdrawal demanded by the world community.
"We expect an announcement for a pullback into the Bekaa (valley in eastern Lebanon) before the Arab summit" due to take place on March 23 in Algeria, the Lebanese minister, who declined to be named, told AFP in Beirut.
"The announcement for a complete withdrawal will depend on political consultations," he added. "Syria wants guarantees, a sort of a roadmap, and wants consultations at the regional and international levels for the resumption of the peace process."
Al-Muallim's visit came as Syrian diplomats fanned out across the world for consultations on how to react to the mounting pressure to withdraw its troops following the February 14 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri that Washington and many in Lebanon blamed on Damascus.
The slaying triggered massive unprecedented street protests in Beirut that led to the downfall of the Syrian-backed government there.
Moscow has been a close ally of Damascus since the Soviet era and this year signed a deal to sell new air defense systems to Syria that infuriated both Israel and the United States.
Syria's Mediterranean coast also hosts Russia's only foreign naval base.
The media here said Moscow -- which supported UN resolution 1559 when it passed last September -- intended to build closer relations with Damascus despite its growing international isolation because it remains its closest Middle Eastern ally and provides Russia with a foothold -- and an arms market -- in the volatile region.
The Kommersant business daily said Russia was now trying to convince Syria to follow international advice and withdraw its troops because of a growing threat of an attack against its close ally.
"It seems that Moscow believes that the odds of military action against Syria is very high and is trying to convince its closest Middle Eastern ally to take a step back -- and to save its friend from a strike," the Kommersant business daily wrote.
"Coming under ever increasing attack from Washington, Damascus began searching for a stable strategic partner and settled on Russia," the newspaper wrote.

03/04/2005 16:06 GMT