New Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri will hold talks Friday in Syria on boosting economic ties before heading on his first Arab tour that will take him to Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Egypt, officials said.
Hariri will be accompanied on his one-day trip to Damascus by Finance Minister Fouad Siniora, Economy and Trade Minister Bassel Fleihan, and Resources Minister Mohamad Abdel Hamid Baydoun, they said.
Last month, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustapha Miro visited Lebanon where he discussed preparations for future meetings between the two governments in order to strengthen economic relations.
Hariri's trip to Damascus, his second since his October 26 appointment as prime minister, comes amid a heated debate in Lebanon over the continued presence of 35,000 Syrian army troops in Lebanon.
Hariri will visit Saudi Arabia over the weekend before traveling to Morocco on Monday for a two-day trip after which he will return to Lebanon to attend celebrations for independence day on November 22.
The prime minister will continue his Arab tour in Egypt on November 25 – BEIRUT (AFP)
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