Syria delivers summit invitation to resigned pro-Syrian FM

by **Admin** Fri Mar 14, 2008 2:26 am

Syria on Thursday delivered an invitation to Lebanon to attend an Arab summit scheduled in Damascus later this month, in a measure seen as defusing tensions with Arab countries which hinted at boycotting the conference if Beirut was excluded.

Syria's deputy foreign minister Ahmed Arnous handed over the invitation to resigned opposition Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh.

Salloukh is one of six opposition ministers who quit Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's cabinet in November 2006, but has still been fulfilling some of his official duties.

Salloukh told reporters he would hand over the invitation to Saniora once the Premier returns from the Islamic Summit in Dakar.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference opened its 11th leaders' summit in the Senegalese capital on Thursday.

The Syrian delegation, which left the foreign ministry through the back door apparently to avoid media attention, did not make any statement.

The Arab summit, due in Damascus March 29-30, has been mired in controversy over Lebanon's participation and the presidential crisis it is facing as the government remained at loggerheads with the Hizbullah-led opposition.

Both Saudi Arabia and Egypt accuse Syria of blocking the election of a new president in Lebanon.

The two Arab powers have linked the level of their participation at the Damascus summit to the election of a president in Lebanon.

The two countries also hinted they could boycott the summit to show their displeasure at Syria's interference in Lebanese affairs.