French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrived in Beirut on Sunday after a short visit to Syria, to convey his country's concern over the track of Lebanese-Syrian ties, DPA reported.
France, along with the United States and other western powers, is worried about Syria's involvement in Lebanon, as well as the need to secure the borders between the two countries.
Kouchner, who met with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in Damascus late on Saturday, is due to meet with President Michel Suleiman and Premier Saad Hariri.
In the talks Kouchner is expected to call on Syria and Lebanon for self-restraint to prevent tensions, as well as the control of their borders to prevent any arms smuggling.
Last month, Israel had accused Syria of smuggling Scud missiles to the Lebanese Shiite Group Hezbollah.
Relations between Lebanon and Syria had been strained since the 2005 assassination of former Prime minister Rafik Hariri, when Damascus was accused by Hariri's allies of plotting his murder. Syria denies the accusation, yet it was forced to withdraw its troops from Lebanon shortly after.
International pressure on Syria eased as relations improved, when the current premier and son of the late premier, Saad Hariri, visited Syria last December to mend ties.
Last week, Hariri met with al-Assad in Damascus in a visit designed to coordinate policies ahead of Hariri's trip to the United States on Monday.
France's Kouchner in Beirut to discuss Lebanese-Syrian relations
