Syria's Assad meets Lebanese PM

President Assad said Fuad Siniora would be welcome to visit Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora have met for the first time since July, despite tensions between their nations.

The two leaders held a brief meeting on the sidelines of the Arab Summit being held in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

Relations between the men have been strained since Mr Siniora's friend and ally, former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri, was assassinated in February 2005.

A UN investigation has implicated senior Syrian officials in the killing.

Damascus has denied the charges but was forced to pull its forces out of Lebanon in the wake of Mr Hariri's death.

Elections in May and June saw an anti-Syrian alliance led by Saad Hariri, the former premier's son, win control of parliament.

Our agenda should be prepared carefully Bashar al-Assad

The alliance nominated Mr Siniora to head a new government dominated by those opposed to Syrian involvement in Lebanon.

In November, President Assad said the Lebanese government was a puppet for Syria's enemies and Mr Siniora a "slave of all masters".

But the two men shook hands at the summit on Tuesday.

One official said Mr Siniora told Mr Assad that he would like to arrange a visit to Syria in the near future.

"He expressed to Mr Assad his wish to visit Damascus," he told AFP news agency.

"Our agenda should be prepared carefully," the Syrian president responded, according to the unnamed official.

Mr Siniora had said on arrival in Khartoum that "Lebanese-Syrian relations should be healthy and perfect".

Lebanese talks suspended

The meeting in Sudan came a day after Lebanese politicians suspended talks in Beirut aimed at fostering unity.

The National Dialogue has brought together pro- and anti-Syrian groups from the country's Christian and Muslim communities to discuss Lebanon's relationship with Syria, the disarmament of militias and the future of pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud.

A lack of agreement over the future of Mr Lahoud was the reason given for the suspension of the talks until next week by their organiser, Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri.

"Talks focused on one essential subject, that of the presidency of the republic... and this point remains on the agenda for the next session, next Monday," he said.

President Lahoud, whose term officially ended in October 2004, had his mandate extended by the Lebanese parliament under pressure from Damascus.

He has come under increasing pressure to resign since a close aide was implicated in Hariri's killing.