DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar Assad said Saturday he was determined to pull Syrian troops out of Lebanon and to do his best to safeguard the area`s political stability, specifically in Lebanon.
Assad said the troop pull-out was aimed at achieving "Lebanon`s safety and security," an Iranian source which attended official talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi and his Syrian counterpart Farouq Al-Shara told KUNA.
The Syrian president warned "the enemies" not to take advantage of the pull-out "in order to throw the seeds of civil strife (in Lebanon)." The source pointed out that the two sides also discussed how best to face up to "Israeli aggressive acts in the region." The two sides also discussed the security situation in Iraq, specifically the latest developments in the Iraqi National Assembly, which failed to reach agreement over broad policy, specifically appointment to top jobs like that of prime minister and president of the republic.
Kharazi expressed hope that "things will settle down in Iraq after the formation of a new government." "This will help adjoining countries do their best to resolve the country`s problems," Kharazi was quoted as saying.
The Iranian foreign minister briefed the Syrian side about the ongoing negotiations between his country and the European Union over the Iranian nuclear program.
He cautioned against "the conspiracies being discretely woven against countries of the region." He called for acting quickly to "prevent any worsening of the current tension in the area." He added that the Middle East region was going through "very delicate and complicated circumstances." Kharazi described as "important the current talks between Iran and Syria and condemned "Israel continued attempts to weaken the countries in the region.
" The Iranian minister called on political leaders in both Lebanon and Syria to "realize the conspiracy against their safety and act accordingly." Kharazi ended an official visit to Syria during which he delivered a message to Assad from his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Khatami.
A statement issued by the Syrian presidency said the talks had focused on the latest regional and international developments and on bilateral relations between the two countries.