The Syrian Foreign Minister, Farouq al-Shara, has written to the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, saying that Syria has completed withdrawing its troops from Lebanon.
The last of Syria’s soldiers in Lebanon reportedly pulled out this morning after a military presence in the country that has lasted 29 years.
The UN is due to issue a report on Syria’s compliance with a UN Security Council resolution demanding the withdrawal, while a UN team is to travel to the region to confirm that the pullout has taken place.
Syria has come under increased pressure over its presence in Lebanon since the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafiq al-Hariri, in a car bomb attack in the capital, Beirut, in February.
The Damascus government has denied any involvement in the killing.
