Home
Politics
There was no immediate confirmation from Damascus.
Assad's visit will be his first since the 2005 assassination of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, when relations between Damascus and Beirut took a sharp downturn.
At the time, Syria was widely blamed for the murder, but it has consistently denied any involvement.
Relations have been on the mend since 2008 when diplomatic ties were established for the first time between Beirut and Damascus, and Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of the slain leader, has made four trips to Syria in the past eight months.
Assad will be travelling to Beirut along with the Saudi monarch who is due in Damascus on Thursday as part of a regional tour that includes stops in Egypt and Jordan.
Also coming to Beirut on Friday will be the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.
The diplomatic ballet is widely seen as an attempt to ease tensions after Hezbollah said last week that the UN tribunal probing Hariri's murder was set to indict members of the militant Shiite party.
The announcement prompted fears of a new conflict between the powerful Hezbollah, which is supported by Syria and Iran, and its Saudi-backed Sunni rivals similar to the one that shook the country in 2008.
There is also concern a new conflict might be looming between Hezbollah and Israel, which in recent months has accused the party of stockpiling weapons in preparation for a new war.
The two archfoes fought a devastating war in 2006 that left much of Lebanon's infrastructure in ruins.
"I think the next two weeks will be crucial," said Shadi Hamid, research director at the Brookings Doha Center, a think-tank.
"There is a risk of escalation, of sectarian violence, and all players involved realise that risk and are taking pre-emptive action to defuse things before they get out of hand in the next weeks and months," Hamid told AFP.
Hariri and 22 others were killed in a massive bombing on February 14, 2005.
The killing sparked international outcry and forced Damascus to withdraw its troops from its neighbour following a 29-year presence.
The UN tribunal set up to investigate Hariri's assassination is expected to issue indictments in the case by the end of the year.
Saudi-Syrian ties deteriorated after Hariri's murder but have since warmed, with Riyadh playing a key role in the recent rapprochement between Assad and Saad Hariri.
The Saudi king is expected to press Assad to use his influence over Hezbollah to avoid a conflict.
Assad last visited Lebanon in 2002 when he attended an Arab summit. The Saudi monarch also attended that summit but was crown prince at the time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assad's visit will be his first since the 2005 assassination of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, when relations between Damascus and Beirut took a sharp downturn.
At the time, Syria was widely blamed for the murder, but it has consistently denied any involvement.
Relations have been on the mend since 2008 when diplomatic ties were established for the first time between Beirut and Damascus, and Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of the slain leader, has made four trips to Syria in the past eight months.
Assad will be travelling to Beirut along with the Saudi monarch who is due in Damascus on Thursday as part of a regional tour that includes stops in Egypt and Jordan.
Also coming to Beirut on Friday will be the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.
The diplomatic ballet is widely seen as an attempt to ease tensions after Hezbollah said last week that the UN tribunal probing Hariri's murder was set to indict members of the militant Shiite party.
The announcement prompted fears of a new conflict between the powerful Hezbollah, which is supported by Syria and Iran, and its Saudi-backed Sunni rivals similar to the one that shook the country in 2008.
There is also concern a new conflict might be looming between Hezbollah and Israel, which in recent months has accused the party of stockpiling weapons in preparation for a new war.
The two archfoes fought a devastating war in 2006 that left much of Lebanon's infrastructure in ruins.
"I think the next two weeks will be crucial," said Shadi Hamid, research director at the Brookings Doha Center, a think-tank.
"There is a risk of escalation, of sectarian violence, and all players involved realise that risk and are taking pre-emptive action to defuse things before they get out of hand in the next weeks and months," Hamid told AFP.
Hariri and 22 others were killed in a massive bombing on February 14, 2005.
The killing sparked international outcry and forced Damascus to withdraw its troops from its neighbour following a 29-year presence.
The UN tribunal set up to investigate Hariri's assassination is expected to issue indictments in the case by the end of the year.
Saudi-Syrian ties deteriorated after Hariri's murder but have since warmed, with Riyadh playing a key role in the recent rapprochement between Assad and Saad Hariri.
The Saudi king is expected to press Assad to use his influence over Hezbollah to avoid a conflict.
Assad last visited Lebanon in 2002 when he attended an Arab summit. The Saudi monarch also attended that summit but was crown prince at the time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
