Brussels, 12/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - EU High Representative for CFSP Javier Solana began a tour of the Middle East on Monday. His trip takes him first of all to Beirut for talks with Lebanon's prime minister, Fouad Siniora, and with the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri. Solana will then go to Saudi Arabia where he will be met, on Tuesday, by King Abdallah. On Wednesday, he will be in Damascus for a meeting with the Syrian president, Bachar Al-Assad. This is the EU foreign policy chief's first visit to Syria since 2004, when UN Resolution 1559 had called for withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Since the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafic Hariri, in February 2005, contacts between the EU and Syria have been frozen. In recent weeks, however, Spain, Germany and Italy have sent ministers to Damascus. During his trip, Solana will express the EU's stance on Lebanon as confirmed on Friday 9 March by the EU heads of state and government. In conclusions adopted by the European Council, the EU27 are adamant about “full and rapid implementation” of all UN resolutions concerning Lebanese sovereignty. They also confirm their attachment to setting up an international tribunal to judge those responsible for Rafic Hariri's assassination. (hb)