Paris summit calls for 'complete pullout' of Syria from Lebanon

French President Jacques Chirac (R) salutes German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (L) outside the Elysee Palace Friday in Paris. French, German, Russian and German heads of states gathered in Paris for the first-ever four-way summit. PHOTO: AFP

In their statement the presidents of France and Russia, Jacques Chirac and Vladimir Putin, as well as Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero committed themselves to the implementation of UN resolution 1559 which calls for the full withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon.

The resolution was adopted in September last year.

Putin's agreement was important because of Moscow's long-standing links with Damascus.

Russia is currently negotiating the sale to Syria of close-range air defence missiles in spite of US reservations.

Russian security commission chief Igor Ivanov said Monday Moscow was prepared to allow Israeli experts to check that the missiles pose no danger for the Jewish state's security.