Egyptian President Husni Mubarak is paying on Tuesday a short visit to Saudi Arabia. According to the Beirut-based A Safir newspaper, talks will deal with the current situation in the region, especially in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Mubarak will be meeting with King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan. Discussions will discuss means of "improving relations between Syria and Lebanon and Damascus' cooperation with the International Investigation Committee into the assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri". A Saudi official told the paper the timing of the visit is linked to the latest statements of former Syrian VP Abdelhalim Khaddam, who confirmed that Hariri was threatened by the Syrian president months before his assassination.

Meanwhile, a Syrian sources stressed to A Safir his country's desire to cooperate with the UN commission following the latest request to question Syria's president about the assassination of Hariri. However, the source noted that this cooperation will be done within the limits of "Syria's sovereignty". The source reiterated Damascus' call  to sign a protocol of coordination that defines cooperation and its limits.