Solana Urges Pressure on Syria ahead of Arab Summit

by **Admin** Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:41 am

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana called Sunday for international pressure on Syria so that it allows Lebanon to elect a new president before an Arab summit on March 29-30.
"The pressure on Syria has to grow in order to solve at least the situation in Lebanon," he said at the Brussels Forum conference in the Belgian capital.

"All the pressure has to be placed now, to see if the president of Lebanon can be elected before this summit. If that's not the case I'd be very pessimistic about the coming period of time," he said.

Lebanon has been without a head of state since November 24, when pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud stood down, and presidential powers have been transferred to the cabinet, which will decide whether Lebanon attends the summit in Damascus.

Parliament is scheduled to convene on March 25 for a vote.

However 16 previous attempts have been postponed because of the deadlock between the majority, and the Hizbullah-led opposition.

The Arab summit has been mired in controversy, with some Arab states saying they will not attend if the Lebanese parliament does not elect a president by then.

"The summit will not be attended at the level it was supposed to be if that is not done," Solana said.

Regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Egypt have blamed Syria -- which was the dominant political and military force in Lebanon for decades -- for obstructing the election.(AFP)

Beirut, 16 Mar 08, 17:52