Neighbours to build diplomatic ties

Lebanon's foreign minister said he expects diplomatic ties with Syria to be fully established and ambassadors to be exchanged within two months. Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said the Cabinet will give its approval on the diplomatic ties on Thursday. Later, it will issue a separate decree for an embassy in Syria, he said. Mr Salloukh spoke two days after the presidents of Lebanon and Syria agreed to establish full diplomatic ties for the first time since the two countries gained independence from France more than 60 years ago.

The two countries also agreed to negotiate the demarcation of their border, a long standing demand of the Lebanese as they seek to normalise relations with their dominant larger neighbour.

The agreements on diplomatic ties and the border were announced during a landmark visit by President Michel Suleiman to Damascus for talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. It was the first visit by a Lebanese head of state in three years.