Last update - 00:00 09/05/2007
UN chief Ban, Assad discuss Syria-Lebanon arms smuggling
By The Associated Press
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Syrian President Bashar Assad spoke by telephone Wednesday about issues that likely involved reports of arms smuggling from Syria to Lebanon.
The reports have raised serious concern in the U.N. Security Council and Ban took up the issue with Assad during a visit to Damascus last month.
The official news agency SANA said that Wednesday's telephone discussions were in the framework of communication between Syria and the international organization, to follow-up on issues. No details were provided.
During his Syria visit, Ban urged Damascus to work with Lebanon to prevent cross-border arms smuggling and asked Assad to use his influence with Lebanese allies to resolve a political crisis in the neighboring country.
Weapons transfers to Hezbollah are banned under a U.N. resolution that ended last summer's war between the Iranian- and Syrian-backed guerrillas and Israel.
Ban has also sought Assad's help in getting the Lebanese to agree on an international tribunal in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri - a burning issue at the center of the political crisis in Beirut.