Syrian, Saudi leaders urge Lebanese to avoid violence

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz urged Lebanese during a joint visit to Beirut on Friday to avoid resorting to violence.

"The leaders stressed the importance of stability and the commitment of the Lebanese not to resort to violence and the need to place the country's interests above all sectarian interests," a statement released by the Lebanese presidency said.

"Lebanese parties should pursue the path of appeasement and dialogue and to boost national unity in the face of outside threats," said the statement.

The Saudi and Syrian leaders also said they stood in solidarity with Lebanon "in the face of Israel's daily violations of its sovereignty and its attempts to destabilize the country."

The Syrian president and Saudi king visit Lebanon to defuse tension over reports of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) impending indictment against members of Hezbollah for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The Syrian president was visiting Lebanon for the first time since 2002, and Abdullah's visit was the first of Saudi king since 1957.

The two leaders met with top Lebanese officials, including Lebanese President Michel Suleiman.

"The discussion focused on the tension in Lebanon," a government source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The emir of Qatar Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani is also visiting Lebanon.

The Qatari leader is due to visit southern Lebanese villages on Saturday. Those villages were destroyed during the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Tension in Lebanon is rising after the Shiite armed group Hezbollah warned of accusing some of its members in the killing of Hariri.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is investigating the assassination of Hariri, and its first official indictment is supposed to be released in the few next months.

Lebanese officials called for dialogue among political factions in order to defuse rising tensions.

Source: Xinhua