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GV & SV Guards outside presidential palace in Damascus (2 shots)
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GV & CU President Assad (right of picture) talking to Lebanese Speaker (2 shots)
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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The Speaker of Lebanon's parliament, Kamel Al-Asaad, met with Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad in Damascus on Monday (26 April) and discussed the election of a new Lebanese Head of State to succeed President Suleiman Franjieh.

No details of the discussions were released but Beirut Radio had said earlier that the talks would be aimed at securing a Syrian pledge to help enforce peaceful conditions when a presidential election is held.

President Franjieh, under pressure from the increasingly powerful Lebanese left, signed a constitutional amendment on Saturday (24 April) allowing for his early retirement.

Syria has been involved in mediation attempts to end the year-old civil war in Lebanon which has left more than 15,000 dead.