Saniora made the remark in an address to Arab heads of state broadcast live on the eve of the Arab Summit that would convene in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

"I urge Arab Leaders to call for an urgent meeting by Arab Foreign Ministers to tackle the Lebanese-Syrian relations" he said.

Saniora said Lebanon boycotted the summit because Syria had hampered the election of a president, who is the only Christian Head of state in the Arab world.

"Lebanon boycotted the Damascus summit only because it rejects to be represented by any person other than the elected president and in protest against Syria's policies and practices regarding Lebanon," he said.

Saniora also called for releasing Lebanese detainees held in Syrian jails, demarcation of Lebanese-Syrian borders and normalizing relations between the two states, a reference to demands for setting up diplomatic ties between Damascus and Beirut.

As Saniora delivered his speech, staccato bursts of automatic riffle fire echoed across Beirut in an apparent show of support by al-Mustaqbal movement members.

"Lebanon's relations with Syria have not been sound relations in recent years as Syria played a major role in escalating the political crisis in Lebanon," Saniora said.

However, the Lebanese government "reaffirms its wish in having sisterly relations" with Damascus but "it is not acceptable for Sisterly Syria or friendly Iran to treat Lebanon as an area of influence or an arena for fighting," the Premier stressed.

On relations between Syria and Lebanon, Saniora highlighted the fact that "a new chapter of relations with Syria should be based on mutual respect and relations should be between two governments so that neither the Lebanese nor the Syrians should have relations with political factions or military groups operating in the other state."

He pointed out the importance of border demarcation with Syria.

He labeled this issue as "normal and necessary" and called for dealing with "demarcation in the Shebaa Farms sector as a top priority".

"Lebanon wants to reactivate the 1949 armistice agreement with Israel" Saniora confirmed.

The Lebanese premier also raised in his address the issue of pro-Syrian armed Palestinian factions in refugee camps and bases and called on Damascus to cooperate to remove them.

Saniora's office, prior to the speech, distributed the text of his address to the Arab League, The Damascus summit and Arab heads of state including Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Source: Naharnet

Tags: Borders, Fouad Siniora, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Presidential Elections, Shebaa Farms, Syria, Terrorism