French President Jacques Chirac is due to visit Damascus Sunday for talks on the Iraq crisis, after saying earlier that Syria should withdraw its troops from Lebanon as progress is made towards Middle East peace.
Chirac emphasized in his speech before the Lebanese parliament Thursday that the 20,000 troops Syria maintains in Lebanon should withdraw in line with the 1989 Taif accords that ended the civil war. "Their implementation should be pursued and completed, restoring the state in all its prerogatives, a state fully sovereign and independent, capable of being heard and respected," he said.
Chirac, who attended a summit of French-speaking nations in Beirut, will be making his first visit to Damascus since President Bashar al-Assad took over the presidency in July 2000. In addition, Chirac is set to make a lightning visit to Jordan Sunday, before returning to France.
On Saturday the French leader pledged a "merciless" fight against terrorism while urging leaders not to violate human rights or ignore the United Nations. "The fight against terrorism will be merciless," Chirac said. "But it must be carried out with respect for human rights and U.N. conventions and resolutions." (Albawaba.com)
