(dpa) - A Syrian delegation arrived in Lebanon Thursday to deliver an invitation to Prime Minister Fouad Seniora to attend the upcoming Arab Summit in Damascus.
The delegation, headed by Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmed Aronus met with Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salkhouh at the foreign ministry in Beirut.
A Syrian official was quoted Wednesday as saying that "an invitation will be sent at the right time and in an adequate fashion."
The Arab summit, scheduled for March 29-30, has been mired in controversy over Lebanon's participation and the presidential crisis it is facing because of a standoff between the opposition, backed by Syria and Iran, and the majority backed by the West and many Arab states.
In the run-up to the March 29-30 summit, several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan have not revealed the level of their participation.
Salkhouh, is very close to the Lebanon's opposition, led by the Shiite Hezbollah movement, which is backed by Syria and Iran. He is among the six Shiite ministers who resigned in November 2006 and called on Seniora to quit office. While most of them are still carrying on with their duties at their various ministries, they do not attend cabinet meetings headed by Seniora.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was quoted earlier this week as saying that a solution to the ongoing political crisis in Lebanon "has been and will always be" linked to normalization of ties between Syria and Saudi Arabi a.
"Normalizing ties between Syria and Saudi Arabia will reflect positively on Lebanon," Berri said in remarks published on Tuesday.
The speaker said he does not see any prospect for a settlement to the Lebanon crisis "unless Arab reconciliation is achieved."
"If Arabs shake hands, we will quickly reconcile in Lebanon," Berri added.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt accuse Syria of blocking the election of a new president in Lebanon. Lebanese-Syrian relations have been tense since 2005 when Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri was assassinated. The anti-Syrian ruling parliamentary majority have accused Damascus of being behind his killing, a charge Syria has always denied.