LEADERS OF SYRIA, SAUDI ARABIA, LEBANON HOLD SYMBOLIC BEIRUT SUMMIT
Baku, July 31 (AZERTAC). Syrian and Saudi leaders have arrived in Lebanon for a rare meeting aimed at defusing tensions about a possible Hezbollah indictment for the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Saudi Arabia`s King Abdullah held talks with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman in Beirut, Friday.
The men held a series of meetings with officials including Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the son of the slain statesman, and President Michel Suleiman. Few details about the discussions emerged, although Assad gave reporters a thumbs-up and said "it was an excellent summit" as he left Lebanon`s presidential palace.
Both Syria and Saudi Arabia support opposing players in Lebanon`s internal political tug-of-war and have long been top powerbrokers in the politically fractious country. The men will discuss a United Nations investigation into the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri, the father of the country`s current prime minister, Saad Hariri. The meeting marks Mr. Assad`s first visit to Beirut since the assassination.
The Hezbollah faction in Lebanon has denied involvement in the assassination but fears the U.N. probe will result in the indictment of some of its members. Syria has had strong ties to Hezbollah. Many countries blamed Syria for the assassination but Damascus has denied involvement.
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