Lebanon’s Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri started Sunday on a 10-day foreign trip to discuss the regional situation and boost Lebanon’s economy, reported the Daily Star newspaper.
The Vatican will be Hariri’s first leg in the tour which will also take him to the US, Canada and France, said the paper.
Hariri will be accompanied by 11 ministers to Rome, where he is due to meet Monday with Pope John Paul II. They are expected to discuss the tense regional situation.
On Tuesday, Hariri is due in Washington, where he will meet US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell. He will be joined by four ministers on his US trip, the paper added.
On April 29, Hariri will make a two-day visit to Canada, where he will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Hariri will then fly to Paris on May 1 to meet French President Jacques Chirac, before returning to Beirut on May 2, the paper said.
Sources said that Hariri will visit Damascus after his American-European tour, and meet with high-ranking officials there – Albawaba.com
